minke whale

noun

min·​ke whale ˈmiŋ-kə- 

variants or less commonly minke

: a small gray to black baleen whale (genus Balaenoptera) with a whitish underside and a relatively narrow, pointed snout:

a

: one (B. acutorostrata) chiefly of the northern hemisphere

called also common minke whale, northern minke whale

b

: one (B. bonaerensis) of the southern hemisphere that was formerly classified in the same species as the northern form

called also Antarctic minke, southern minke whale

see rorqual

Illustration of minke whale

Examples of minke whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The company identified the animal as a minke whale, some of which are commonly spotted in places off the Great Barrier Reef and other warm waters in the southern hemisphere. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025

Found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, minke whales are not considered endangered. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

Cases Compared to Past Years Human Limbs Found On California Shoreline Massachusetts has seen the most minke whales washed ashore, at 67. —George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024

In a normal year, Girardeau would be pointing out dolphins, along with fin and minke whales, to tourists in search of sea life. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Norwegian minkehval, from minke- (perhaps from Meincke, a crewman of Svend Foyn †1894 Norwegian whaler) + hval whale

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above