harbor seal

noun

: a small hair seal (Phoca vitulina) of oceanic coasts in the northern hemisphere that often ascends rivers

Examples of harbor seal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The aquarium houses two families of harbor seals in its exhibit, according to the website, with each seal having a distinct feature and personality. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026 Point Lobos also hosts a resident population of harbor seals and sea lions, and gets occasional visits from elephant seals. Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2026 The couple’s travels through Alaska took them close – sometimes too close for comfort – to grizzlies, walruses, humpback whales, harbor seals, and wolves. Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025 Some of the metals that settled in the estuary could enter the food chain in this wildlife hot spot, often populated with sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans and herons. Ivano W. Aiello, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for harbor seal

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harbor seal was in 1766

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Cite this Entry

“Harbor seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harbor%20seal. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

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