Whale

Definition

Whale refers primarily to any of various large, fully aquatic marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea, noted for breathing air through blowholes and for often complex social behaviors. As a verb, whale can mean to strike or beat with great force.

Parts of Speech

• Noun
• Verb (intransitive/transitive)

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA: /weɪl/
• Respelling: WAYL

British English

• IPA: /weɪl/
• Respelling: WAYL

Etymology

Old English hwæl “whale,” from Proto-Germanic *hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kwal-o (“large sea animal”). The verb sense “to thrash” dates from the early 19th century (US slang).

Derivatives

• whaling (noun/verb gerund)
• whaler (noun)
• whalebone (noun)
• whalelike (adjective)

Synonyms

• cetacean
• leviathan (poetic)
• thrash (verb sense)
• pummel (verb sense)

Antonyms

• nurture (figurative verb antonym)
• petite (figurative noun antonym)

Usage

"A pod of whales passed by the research vessel."

"He really whaled on the punching bag after the fight."

Related Terms

• Cetacean: The order including whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
• Blowhole: The nostril(s) on top of a whale’s head used for breathing.
• Pod: A social group of whales.
• Whaling: The practice of hunting whales.
• Marine mammal: Warm-blooded vertebrates that live in the sea and breathe air.

Detailed Definitions

Noun

• Any large fully aquatic marine mammal of the infraorder Cetacea – characterized by streamlined body, horizontal tail flukes, absence of hind limbs, and breathing via blowhole(s).
  • Example: "Sperm whales dive deep in search of squid."
• A large sea creature resembling a whale – used metaphorically for any very large thing.
  • Example: "He landed the big whale client at last week’s conference."

Verb

• To strike or beat something forcefully – to thrash or pummel.
  • Example: "The waves whaled against the rocks during the storm."
• To treat someone severely or criticize harshly – to give a thorough beating or rebuke.
  • Example: "The team was whaled in last night’s game."

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