noun pl. whales or whale
- any member of either of two orders (Mysticeta and Odontoceta) of aquatic mammals that breathe air, bear live young, and have front limbs that have been modified into flippers, and a flat, horizontal tail
- any of the larger members of these two groups, excluding the porpoises and dolphins (except for the killer whale)
Origin:
ME whal < OE hwæl, akin to OHG hwal, ON hvalr, MDu wal < IE base *(s)kwalos, a large fish > L squalus, big sea fish
intransitive verb whaled, whaling
to engage in the work of hunting whales