right whale

noun

: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head

Illustration of right whale

Illustration of right whale

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Endangered right whales spotted in shipping lanes south of Massachusetts Meanwhile last week, several basking sharks were seen off Plymouth. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025 Endangered right whales spotted in shipping lanes south of Massachusetts Chisholm every spring receives many shark reports that turned out to be basking sharks, instead of great white sharks. Rick Sobey, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025 She was sighted among 60 right whales gathering to feed in a busy New England shipping lane, officials said. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025 Northern right whale dolphins are the only dolphin in the North Pacific Ocean to not have a dorsal fin and usually travel in packs of 100 to 200, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for right whale

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of right whale was in 1725

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Cite this Entry

“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

right whale

noun
: a large baleen whale with no fin on the back, a very large head, and small eyes near the lower part of the mouth

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