Illustration of humpback whale
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
Examples of humpback whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a small town called Eden off the coast of southeastern Australian, orca pods would alert whalers and heard humpback whales that swam through these waters every year towards the Twofold Bay area.
—
Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
There are two distinct populations of humpback whales in West Coast waters.
—Ed Komenda, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2023
Near the end of the film, a group of conservationists encounters the massive carcass of a humpback whale far from the shore.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2023
Meanwhile, a 2028 study looking at humpback whales in Japan's Ogasawara Islands observed that the whales stopped vocalizing altogether when a cargo vessel passed within 1,400 meters, ununderscoring yet again how noise pollution can negatively impact these marine life.
—Gabriella Sotelo, Treehugger, 14 July 2023
His pro tip is to bring binoculars to spot the humpback whales migrating offshore in winter.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2023
Officials made the call to protect humpback whales that have been spotted in the Bay Area throughout October.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2023
The most concentrated population of humpback whales will be in Maui the months of January, February, and March, specifically in the Maui Nui Basin area along the west coast of the island.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023
Direct competition with marine mammals seems inevitable — a reality dramatically underscored when four juvenile humpback whales were entangled by a Norwegian krill boat in 2021 and 2022.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
See More
Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
There are two distinct populations of humpback whales in West Coast waters.
—Ed Komenda, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2023
Near the end of the film, a group of conservationists encounters the massive carcass of a humpback whale far from the shore.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2023
Meanwhile, a 2028 study looking at humpback whales in Japan's Ogasawara Islands observed that the whales stopped vocalizing altogether when a cargo vessel passed within 1,400 meters, ununderscoring yet again how noise pollution can negatively impact these marine life.
—Gabriella Sotelo, Treehugger, 14 July 2023
His pro tip is to bring binoculars to spot the humpback whales migrating offshore in winter.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2023
Officials made the call to protect humpback whales that have been spotted in the Bay Area throughout October.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2023
The most concentrated population of humpback whales will be in Maui the months of January, February, and March, specifically in the Maui Nui Basin area along the west coast of the island.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023
Direct competition with marine mammals seems inevitable — a reality dramatically underscored when four juvenile humpback whales were entangled by a Norwegian krill boat in 2021 and 2022.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'humpback whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1726, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near humpback whale
Cite this Entry
“Humpback whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humpback%20whale. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
humpback whale
noun
: a large baleen whale that is black above and white below and has very long flippers
More from Merriam-Webster on humpback whale
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about humpback whale
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share