whaler

noun

whal·​er ˈ(h)wā-lər 

1

: a person or ship engaged in whale fishing

2

: whaleboat sense 2

Examples of whaler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shackleton purchased a wooden Norwegian whaler, Foca I, which his wife Emily renamed Quest. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

While en route to ship out on a Nantucket whaler, Ishmael spends a night at New Bedford’s Spouter-Inn, a night which quickly takes on the semblance of stage farce. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

In the 1800s, winds pushed whaling boats east to the Azores and Cape Verde, where experienced whalers joined the crews. — Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Like all large whales, the NOAA said fin whales were hunted by commercial whalers and their populations were decimated. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for whaler

• bailer
• bailor
• baler
• jailer
• jailor
• paler
• sailer
• sailor
• scalar
• scaler
• tailor
• trailer

Kids Definition

whaler

noun

whal·​er ˈhwā-lər 

ˈwā-

: a person or ship that hunts for whales