right whale

noun

Definition of right whale

: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That includes the dismal 2018 calving season, when scientists saw zero right whale births for the first time in three decades. — Russ Bynum, Anchorage Daily News, "Births among endangered right whales highest since 2015," 3 Apr. 2021 That would exceed the 39 right whale births recorded since 2017. — al, "Births among endangered right whales highest since 2015," 3 Apr. 2021 The Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium is focused on the North Atlantic right whale watch. — Washington Post, "Pining for wildlife? Build your own menagerie with a symbolic adoption.," 15 Jan. 2021 Four were either killed or seriously injured — including a 6-month-old right whale calf found dead last year. — Russ Bynum, Star Tribune, "Lawsuit seeks more protection for endangered right whales," 13 Jan. 2021 Critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population just got a boost: 2 newborns were spotted off the U.S. coast. — Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY, "1 in 22 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19," 8 Dec. 2020 The right whale's calving season begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "Two North Atlantic right whale newborns have been spotted off the US coast," 13 Dec. 2020 The first live right whale calf of the season was spotted by biologists with @CMAquarium off Cumberland Island, GA December 4. — Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, "Biologists Celebrate the Births of Two Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Calves," 16 Dec. 2020 And especially uplifting after a dead North Atlantic right whale calf washed ashore last month in North Carolina. — Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, "Critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population gets a boost: 2 newborns spotted off US coast," 9 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'right whale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.