sperm oil

noun

: a pale yellow oil from the sperm whale

Examples of sperm oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The goal was to snag as many whales as possible, in pursuit of their highly valuable whale oil (extracted from blubber), sperm oil, and whalebone. Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 July 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sperm oil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sperm oil was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near sperm oil

Cite this Entry

“Sperm oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20oil. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sperm oil

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