right whale
nounDefinition of right whale
: 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
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Examples of right whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Watch for sharks and southern right whales from your suite’s deck. — Kitson Jazynka, National Geographic, "17 unforgettable African safaris," 14 June 2019 Some whale species, like the humpback, have recovered from centuries of hunting while others, like the North Atlantic right whale and Sei whale, are still endangered. — Doug Johnson, Quartz, "Elephants and whales could give us the cure for cancer—unless we keep killing them," 14 Aug. 2019 Some species are running out of time Thousands of right whales once swam in the North Atlantic, but today there are only about 411 left. — Jennifer Weeks, The Conversation, "Saving endangered species: 5 essential reads," 13 Aug. 2019 Just 400 North Atlantic right whales, which can grow to 18 metres (60 feet) in length, remain alive. — The Economist, "To save whales, Canada sets a maritime speed limit," 18 July 2019 But those that spend significant time near the surface — such as right whales and humpbacks — are especially vulnerable, said Vanessa Pirotta, a marine biologist at Macquarie University in Sydney. — NBC News, "High-tech thermal cameras could protect whales from deadly collisions with ships," 5 July 2019 There are only a little more than 400 of the right whales left. — Washington Post, "Scientists sound alarm after 6 rare whale deaths in a month," 3 July 2019 Government scientists were on the beach and collected samples to help explain how and why the right whale died. — David Abel, BostonGlobe.com, "Fifth North Atlantic right whale found dead in Canadian waters," 27 June 2019 An analysis of 30 years of data showed that every year a quarter of right whales, which can live to be 100, are wounded by fishing gear. — The Economist, "To save whales, Canada sets a maritime speed limit," 18 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'right whale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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