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humpback whale

noun

: a large baleen whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that is black above and white below and has very long flippers and fleshy tubercles along the snout

Illustration of humpback whale

Illustration of humpback whale

Examples of humpback whale 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.
Freeloading fish are taking ride-sharing to a whole new level — on a humpback whale. Ronnie Li, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025 Seconds later, it was revealed what the fish were running away from as a large humpback whale came up from the depths of the water in a swirl of bubbles. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025 Visitors come by the thousands, often by way of the Alaska Railroad, to board cruise ships, see glaciers, and fulfill their dreams of watching a humpback whale breach in the wild. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025 In the 1990s, Frank Fish took a close look at the massive knobs that stud the leading edge of humpback whale fins. Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for humpback whale

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of humpback whale was in 1726

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Cite this Entry

“Humpback whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humpback%20whale. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

humpback whale

noun
: a large baleen whale that is black above and white below and has very long flippers

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