harp seal

noun

: a dark-faced seal (Phoca groenlandicus) of the North Atlantic that is a variable light gray with the male usually having a dark crescent on its back and sides

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This hoop-shooting mechatronic harp seal is a creation of Taiwanese roboticists at the Industrial Technology Research Institute. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2023 Seriously, what’s not to love about Paro, the robotic baby harp seal designed as a therapeutic tool for use in hospitals and nursing homes? IEEE Spectrum, 13 Feb. 2023 This herd of harp seal females hauled out and gave birth in late February, but a storm demolished the early sea ice that formed in late January and early February. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021 Blood paints the ice as a harp seal herd gives birth on unstable fractured sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021 The other two were Eloise, another young gray seal, found on the same beach as Tom, and Stewart Little, a 1-year-old male harp seal found in Ocean City. Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021 Modeled after a baby harp seal and deliberately scaled to the weight of a human infant, Paro coos and wiggles and blinks its unnervingly expressive eyes when it is held. Kate Knibbs, Wired, 22 June 2020 Lion moms may live with their daughters for life, harp seals must cram every bit of their maternal care into less than two weeks, and many lizards never meet their offspring at all. Brian Handwerk, National Geographic, 8 May 2020 In this image, Jennifer Hayes, on assignment for Traveler magazine, shows a mother harp seal coaxing her pup into the sea for a swimming lesson. Joel Sartore, National Geographic, 21 Nov. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harp seal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the shape of its markings

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near harp seal

Cite this Entry

“Harp seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harp%20seal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2023.

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