baleen whale
noun
: any of a suborder (Mysticeti) of usually large whales typically of colder waters that lack teeth but have baleen plates in the upper jaw which are used to filter chiefly small crustaceans (such as krill) out of large quantities of seawater see fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, right whale, rorqual compare toothed whale
Examples of baleen whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fourteen species of baleen whales are instrumental in moving carbon, nitrogen and iron through the ocean, a 2021 study in Nature found.
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Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
In a behind-the-scenes video, the teeth are labelled ‘baleen’, as in baleen whales, real-life marine mammals that have tough but flexible keratin hairs inside their mouths that filter their tiny fishy prey from the inflow of seawater.
—Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024
Two groups of orcas – one that preys on salmon and the other on sea mammals – as well as baleen whales have cruised these waters since time immemorial and are now often visible from Seattle’s shoreline.
—Manuel Valdes, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
This unique adaptation enables baleen whales to produce sound by recycling air—and avoid breathing in water, according to ABC News’ Julia Jacobo.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Scientists learned that air sacs evolved to allow the baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Air sacs also evolved in a way that may allow a baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds, according to researchers.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
There are 14 types of baleen whales, including the humpback, blue, and fin whales.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
These specialized structures in baleen whales allow for sound to be produced and air recycled, while preventing the whales from inhaling water.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
In a behind-the-scenes video, the teeth are labelled ‘baleen’, as in baleen whales, real-life marine mammals that have tough but flexible keratin hairs inside their mouths that filter their tiny fishy prey from the inflow of seawater.
—Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024
Two groups of orcas – one that preys on salmon and the other on sea mammals – as well as baleen whales have cruised these waters since time immemorial and are now often visible from Seattle’s shoreline.
—Manuel Valdes, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
This unique adaptation enables baleen whales to produce sound by recycling air—and avoid breathing in water, according to ABC News’ Julia Jacobo.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Scientists learned that air sacs evolved to allow the baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Air sacs also evolved in a way that may allow a baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds, according to researchers.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
There are 14 types of baleen whales, including the humpback, blue, and fin whales.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
These specialized structures in baleen whales allow for sound to be produced and air recycled, while preventing the whales from inhaling water.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baleen whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Baleen whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baleen%20whale. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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