right whale

noun

: 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

Illustration of right whale

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fishermen’s prospects are further hampered by efforts to erect windmill farms and to save the planet’s last three hundred and sixty or so North Atlantic right whales, which can get tangled in fishing ropes. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024

Some whale species, such as the North Atlantic right whale, have dwindled to fewer than 360 individuals. —Jared Formanek, CNN, 14 June 2024

Humpback whales Sei whales North Atlantic right whales Minke whales Answer: C. —Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 10 June 2024

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries department, the North Atlantic species of right whale is one of the most endangered whales. —Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

right whale

noun

: a large baleen whale with no fin on the back, a very large head, and small eyes near the lower part of the mouth