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sperm whale
noun
\ ˈspərm-
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Definition of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
Illustration of sperm whale
Examples of sperm whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whales were quickly ruled out by the marine experts because only one, a sperm whale, has a large enough esophagus to swallow a man whole. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: A past president of Israel chose La Jolla as his hideaway," 20 Aug. 2019 The loudest clicks from sperm whales have been measured at 230—louder than a rocket launch but emanating underwater. — Jennifer Emerling, National Geographic, "Seeking silence on a California road trip," 6 Aug. 2019 This is still a rich area, but there are no more big squid, so no more sperm whales. — Smithsonian, "John Steinbeck’s Epic Ocean Voyage Rewrote the Rules of Ecology," 22 Aug. 2019 The study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin found that sperm whales were also the species worst affected by plastic ingestion. — Washington Post, "Study: Lethal plastic trash now common in Greece’s whales," 21 June 2019 Scientists believe that mutual predatory systems exist: sperm whales and giant squid may be an example. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Starving predators survive together, but maybe only in math-land," 27 July 2019 While this shark was caught in 2010 during a mission to study sperm whale feeding, Grace first came across it in 2013 while examining specimens that were collected during the NOAA survey. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "New species of glow-in-the-dark shark found in Gulf of Mexico," 22 July 2019 The new shark was collected in 2010 during an expedition to study sperm whale feeding. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Rare new shark species squirts glow-in-the-dark liquid from its pockets," 22 July 2019 Published in the journal Zootaxa, the paper describes an unusual shark that was discovered during a scientific survey of the Gulf of Mexico, while scientists were researching the feeding behaviors of sperm whales. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "This New Shark Species Looks Like a Tiny Sperm Whale," 22 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sperm whale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sperm whale
sperm whale
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sperm whale
: a type of whale that has a very large head and is hunted for its fat and oil
See the full definition for sperm whale in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sperm whale
nounKids Definition of sperm whale
: a huge whale with a large head having a closed cavity that contains a mixture of wax and oil