blue whale

noun

: a very large baleen whale (Balaenoptera musculus synonym Sibbaldus musculus) that may reach a weight of 150 tons (136 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal

Illustration of blue whale

Illustration of blue whale

Examples of blue whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Orcas have also been observed working in groups to push animals off ice floes, kill a bowhead whale and even take down a blue whale, writes National Geographic. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024 Since no one can haul a live blue whale onto a scale, no one has ever made a precise measurement of its weight. Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Two wall-size displays project a lone blue whale swimming an endless loop. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 The skull at Pajaro Dunes State Beach in Watsonville probably belongs to either a fin or blue whale, experts told SFGate. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2024 Scientists recently observed orcas attacking, killing and eating an adult blue whale for the first time, one of three such predation events detailed in a 2022 paper in Marine Mammal Science. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 As humpbacks and even blue whales rebound in the South Atlantic Ocean, some researchers worry there won’t be enough krill to feed them. Douglas Main, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024 By the 1920s, humpbacks were scarce, so the industry began targeting blue whales and then fin and sei whales. Douglas Main, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024 The largest animals on Earth, blue whales migrate each year to feed, mate, and give birth in the warm waters of Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue whale was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near blue whale

Cite this Entry

“Blue whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20whale. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blue whale

noun
: a whale that may reach a weight of 150 tons (135 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal

More from Merriam-Webster on blue whale

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