sei whale

noun

ˈsā- How to pronounce sei whale (audio)
ˈsī-
: a widely distributed dark gray baleen whale (Balaenoptera borealis) that has a ridge on the top of the head and may reach a length of nearly 60 feet (18 meters)

called also sei

Examples of sei whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As Punta Arenas is also the departure point through the fjords, coastal expeditions can also encounter humpback whales, sei whales, pods of Peale’s dolphins, and perhaps a glimpse of the world’s largest animal—the Antarctic blue whale. AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024 Japan caught 30 fin whales this season, half the quota of 60, alongside 294 minke, Bryde's, and sei whales—below the annual quota of 379. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024 While there are no observations of orcas hunting fin whales, orcas are known to hunt and eat sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) in waters near Chilean Patagonia. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 26 Sep. 2024 Scientists estimated there are 50,000 sei whales remaining in the wild internationally. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for sei whale 

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Norwegian seihval, from sei coalfish + hval whale

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sei whale was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near sei whale

Cite this Entry

“Sei whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sei%20whale. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

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