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 evidence for this clash of oceanic titans comes from sperm whale skin and stomach contents. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2026

The authors collected data from 42 sleeping sperm whales off the coast of northern Norway by attaching small tags via suction cups to their bodies. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026

On a previous voyage, the captain—who is in his late fifties, with a young wife and child—pursued the gigantic, unnaturally white sperm whale known to mariners as Moby Dick. — Literary Hub, 6 July 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