Illustration of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
Examples of sperm whale in a Sentence
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As their name implies, pygmy sperm whales are much smaller than their sperm whale relatives, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The film is about a scuba diver who is swallowed by a sperm whale.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
The Whaling Museum offers a stunning look into the 18th-century whaling industry that shaped Nantucket’s foundation, complete with a 46-foot skeleton of a sperm whale.
—New York Times, 31 July 2025
The Caribbean island of Dominica is home to resident sperm whales.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
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Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The film is about a scuba diver who is swallowed by a sperm whale.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
The Whaling Museum offers a stunning look into the 18th-century whaling industry that shaped Nantucket’s foundation, complete with a 46-foot skeleton of a sperm whale.
—New York Times, 31 July 2025
The Caribbean island of Dominica is home to resident sperm whales.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sperm whale
Cite this Entry
“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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