See Also: Whale(casino)
whale(encyclopedia)
sei whale(encyclopedia)
right whale(encyclopedia)
fin whale(encyclopedia)
whale(2)(dictionary)
whale(1)(dictionary)
sei whale(dictionary)
ca'ing whale(dictionary)
Whale(medicine)

whale(1) (iou)



whale noun & verb1.

A. noun. Pl. -s, (occas.) same.
Any of various large fishlike marine mammals of the order Cetacea, which have forelimbs modified as fins, a tail with horizontal flukes, and nasal openings on top of the head, and which comprise the suborder Mysticeti and (usu. esp. the larger members of) the suborder Odontoceti (freq. with specifying word). OE.
blue whale, humpback whale, killer whale, sperm whale, etc. a sprat to catch a whale: see SPRAT noun1. a tub for a whale: see TUB noun1. a whale of a colloq. an exceedingly good or fine etc. . BALEEN whale. throw a tub to a whale: see TUB noun1. toothed whale: see TOOTHED 1.
(Usu. Whale.) (The name of) the constellation Cetus. M16.
In pl. Anchovies on toast. School & Univ. slang (now Hist.). L19.
Comb.: whale acorn-shell, whale barnacle an acorn barnacle, esp. one of the family Coronulidae, that lives attached to whales etc.; whale-bird a bird which follows a whaling vessel to feed on offal etc., or which is found in the same locality as whales; esp. a prion; whaleboat (a) Hist. a long narrow double-bowed boat formerly used in whaling; (b) a boat of this kind carried for use as a lifeboat etc.; whale-feed, whale-food any small animal upon which whales feed; spec. krill; whale-fin (now rare or obsolete) whalebone (formerly supposed to be the fin of a whale); whale-fisher, whale-fisherman a person engaged in the business of whaling; whale-fishery the business, occupation, or industry of whaling; whale-fishing whaling; whale-food: see whale-feed above; whalehead = whale-headed stork below; whale-headed stork an African stork, Balaeniceps rex (family Balaenicipitidae), which has a very large clog-shaped bill and grey plumage; also called shoebill; whale louse any of various small amphipod crustaceans of the genus Cyamus and family Cyamidae, which live commensally on whales, esp. on the heads of right whales; whaleman = WHALER 1, 2; whale-oil oil obtained from the blubber of a whale; whale shark a very large spotted shark, Rhincodon typus (family Rhincodontidae), which feeds on plankton etc. in tropical seas, and is the largest living fish; whalesucker a remora (fish), Remora australis, which attaches itself to whales and porpoises.
b. verb intrans. Engage in whaling; hunt and kill whales. OE.
whalery noun (a) the industry of whaling; (b) a whaling-station: L17.