whaling

noun

whal·​ing ˈ(h)wā-liŋ How to pronounce whaling (audio)
Synonyms of whalingnext
: the occupation of catching and extracting commercial products from whales

Examples of whaling in a Sentence

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The pair spent their childhood summers camping here, collecting whale bones and learning from their father about regional folklore, including tales from the nearby whaling station at Bahía del Águila, which processed 4,000 cetaceans between 1906 and 1920. Mark Johanson, Outside, 14 Mar. 2026 Hudson, New York About two hours north of Manhattan, Hudson has transformed from a 19th-century whaling port into one of the Hudson Valley’s most design-centric small cities. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026 Last year, researchers reported one of the lowest counts of adults since the 1970s — which was not long after protections to ban the commercial whaling industry were put in place. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026 The Mystic Seaport, the nation's largest maritime museum, has three large ships, including the Morgan, the last remaining wooden whaling ship from the 19th century American merchant fleet. ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whaling

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaling was in 1688

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Cite this Entry

“Whaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaling. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

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