great white shark

noun

: a large mackerel shark (Carcharodon carcharias) of warm seas that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans

called also white shark

see shark illustration

Examples of great white shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While there’s an uptick of great white shark activity this time of year, researchers also receive many reports of ocean sunfish, also known as Mola molas. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025 The sunbathers of sleepy Amity Bay are helpless against the unexpected great white shark that hunts their coasts; Spielberg’s talent for suspense, effective horror shocks, and ingenious reinvention of the classic animal-attack movie remain as impressive as ever. Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 Based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel of the same name, follows a small beach town terrorized by a massive great white shark, leading local Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) a marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter Quint (Craig Kingsbury) to team up and track it down. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 Its tale of how a great white shark terrorized a beach community led box offices for weeks in the summer of 1975. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for great white shark

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great white shark was in 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Great white shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20white%20shark. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

great white shark

noun
: a large and dangerous shark of warm seas that is quick to attack human beings and is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age

Medical Definition

great white shark

noun
: a large shark (Carcharodon carcharias of the family Lamnidae) that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans

called also white shark

More from Merriam-Webster on great white shark

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