sperm whale

noun

ˈspərm- 

: 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)

Illustration of sperm whale

Examples of sperm whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The image, captured by Roie Galitz, a winner in the Europe category, shows a female polar bear feeding on the carcass of a sperm whale north of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. —New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2026

Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales. —Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026

Newborn sperm whales are negatively buoyant, making this post-birth support crucial to the calf’s survival. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026

For sperm whales, the record is even sparser. —Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for spermaceti whale

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sperm whale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

sperm whale

noun

: a large toothed whale with a large chamber in the skull that contains a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil