sei whale

noun

ˈsā- How to pronounce sei whale (audio)
ˈsī-
: a widely distributed dark gray baleen whale (Balaenoptera borealis) that has a ridge on the top of the head and may reach a length of nearly 60 feet (18 meters)

called also sei

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Blue, bowhead, fin and sei whale populations are also growing globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Eric Bender, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2021 The sei whale, a somewhat mysterious type of whale that prefer to live in temperate waters in the mid-latitudes, was not yet mature, marine mammal biologists say. oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2020 By the mid-Sixties, however, fin and sei whales were slim pickings in the Antarctic, and the industry inevitably shuttered. Lucy Jakub, Harper's magazine, 2 Mar. 2020 The quota includes 52 minke wales, as well as 150 Bryde’s whales and 25 sei whales. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 1 July 2019 Discussion about Japan’s sei whale compliance is on the CITES agenda. Dina Fine Maron, National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2019 The sei whale, however, is currently on the endangered species list. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 1 July 2019 The mother factory ship Nisshin-maru and two support boats that used to go to the Antarctic will travel as far as Japan's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone to catch minke, Bryde's and sei whales. Mari Yamaguchi, Anchorage Daily News, 2 July 2019 That breaks down to 150 bryde's whales, 52 common minke whales and 25 sei whales. Ivan Watson, CNN, 2 July 2019 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Norwegian seihval, from sei coalfish + hval whale

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sei whale was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near sei whale

Cite this Entry

“Sei whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sei%20whale. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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