spermaceti
noun
sper·ma·ce·ti
ˌspər-mə-ˈsē-tē 
-ˈse-
-ˈse-
: a waxy solid obtained from the oil of cetaceans and especially from a closed cavity in the heads of sperm whales and used especially formerly in ointments, cosmetics, and candles
Examples of spermaceti in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whalers also brought spermaceti, a waxy substance that comes from a sperm whale’s head and is used to produce candles and lubricants for precision machinery like watches and clocks.
—
Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
In part because there are now better sources of fuel and light than rendered blubber or spermaceti.
—Wayne Pacelle, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
But based on the financial success of its previous voyages in search of sperm oil—a high-quality lighting oil derived from the spermaceti organ in the head of the sperm whale—it was considered a desirable, even lucky, ship by local whalers.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
As recently as the nineteen-seventies, General Motors used spermaceti in its transmission fluid.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
People harvested the baleen, blubber, bone, meat, oil, and spermaceti.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
The animals were particularly prized for their spermaceti, the waxy oil that fills their gigantic heads.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
The whales’ names are derived from a semi-liquid waxy substance found in their heads — known as spermaceti — that was once used for lubrication and lamp fuel, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
—Saumya Gupta, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
The spermaceti is full of a waxy substance that was originally thought to be the animal’s sperm (hence the name).
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2010
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Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
In part because there are now better sources of fuel and light than rendered blubber or spermaceti.
—Wayne Pacelle, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
But based on the financial success of its previous voyages in search of sperm oil—a high-quality lighting oil derived from the spermaceti organ in the head of the sperm whale—it was considered a desirable, even lucky, ship by local whalers.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
As recently as the nineteen-seventies, General Motors used spermaceti in its transmission fluid.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
People harvested the baleen, blubber, bone, meat, oil, and spermaceti.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
The animals were particularly prized for their spermaceti, the waxy oil that fills their gigantic heads.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
The whales’ names are derived from a semi-liquid waxy substance found in their heads — known as spermaceti — that was once used for lubrication and lamp fuel, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
—Saumya Gupta, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
The spermaceti is full of a waxy substance that was originally thought to be the animal’s sperm (hence the name).
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2010
Cite this Entry
“Spermaceti.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spermaceti. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spermaceti
noun
sper·ma·ce·ti
ˌspər-mə-ˈsēt-ē
-ˈset-
: a waxy solid obtained from the oil of some sea-dwelling mammals and especially the sperm whale and used mostly in the past in ointments, cosmetics, and candles
Medical Definition
spermaceti
noun
sper·ma·ce·ti
ˌspər-mə-ˈsēt-ē
-ˈset-
-ˈset-
: a waxy solid obtained from the oil of cetaceans and especially sperm whales and used especially formerly in pharmacology as a constituent of ointments
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