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

Examples of humpback whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Officials said a second humpback whale had also been on a sandbar but was able to free itself. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Biologists are hoping to save a humpback whale last seen entangled in a fishing net off the coast of San Pedro. — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

While humpback whales typically keep to the open sea, some have ventured into the Delta. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

An unexpected visitor has made its way into the Sacramento River, with an adult humpback whale traveling deep into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for humpback whale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

humpback whale

noun

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