whale shark

noun

: a shark (Rhincodon typus) of warm waters that has small teeth, feeds chiefly on plankton strained by its gill rakers, may sometimes attain a length of up to 60 feet (18.3 meters), and is the largest known fish

Examples of whale shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This rare sighting occurred at Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park, and the whale shark was identified as a young male about 13 feet long. —Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025

Taking a cruise tour staffed by local experts is one of the best ways to see all the area has to offer, from spinner dolphins to sea turtles to whale sharks. —Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025

Set against the coastal backdrop of Oslob, Cebu, known as a sanctuary for whale sharks, the film is scheduled to start shooting in the island province in October. —Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2025

Research has documented plastics in a variety of sharks (such as whale sharks, basking sharks, manta rays, Atlantic sharpnose sharks, and a few demersal sharks to name a few) across different habitats. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whale shark

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark

Kids Definition

whale shark

noun

: a harmless shark of warm waters that feeds chiefly on plankton, may sometimes grow to a length of up to 60 feet (18.3 meters), and is the largest known fish