mackerel shark
noun
: any of a family (Lamnidae) of large sharks of tropical to cool temperate oceans that have a pointed snout and relatively few, large teeth and include the great white shark and mako sharks
especially
: porbeagle
Examples of mackerel shark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The existence of mackerel sharks with crushing teeth was unknown until now, Amadori said.
—
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 15 July 2024
The temperature of mackerel sharks also tends to vary across different body parts.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 26 June 2023
Megalodon was a white or mackerel shark, related to today’s great white shark.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023
Megalodon is a mackerel shark, as is today’s great white shark.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023
Massive prehistoric marine creatures like the megalodon, a mackerel shark thought to have been more than 50 feet long, lived and died in what is now the Cooper River, a short, wide river that begins at Lake Moultrie and eventually empties into Charleston Harbor.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2023
Among the small remains found in the wreckage and debris was a turquoise and gold necklace made from the tooth of a Megalodon, a massive species of extinct mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago.
—Mario Abad, Robb Report, 26 May 2023
Megalodon was a colossal species of mackerel shark that stalked the oceans 3.6 to 23 million years ago.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2022
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon researchers produced a skillful ten-year cod forecast, ecologists found that the age of a lobster can be determined by its DNA, and paleontologists sought to determine why so few species of mackerel shark are alive today.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021
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Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 15 July 2024
The temperature of mackerel sharks also tends to vary across different body parts.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 26 June 2023
Megalodon was a white or mackerel shark, related to today’s great white shark.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023
Megalodon is a mackerel shark, as is today’s great white shark.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023
Massive prehistoric marine creatures like the megalodon, a mackerel shark thought to have been more than 50 feet long, lived and died in what is now the Cooper River, a short, wide river that begins at Lake Moultrie and eventually empties into Charleston Harbor.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2023
Among the small remains found in the wreckage and debris was a turquoise and gold necklace made from the tooth of a Megalodon, a massive species of extinct mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago.
—Mario Abad, Robb Report, 26 May 2023
Megalodon was a colossal species of mackerel shark that stalked the oceans 3.6 to 23 million years ago.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2022
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon researchers produced a skillful ten-year cod forecast, ecologists found that the age of a lobster can be determined by its DNA, and paleontologists sought to determine why so few species of mackerel shark are alive today.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Mackerel shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mackerel%20shark. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mackerel shark
noun
mack·er·el shark
ˈmak-(ə-)rəl- 
: any of a family (Lamnidae) of large aggressive pelagic sharks that include the great white shark
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