Whale

Whale, hwāl, n. the common name of a cetaceous mammal, the largest of sea-animals, including the toothed whales, such as Sperm Whale and Dolphin, and the whalebone whales, such as Right Whale and Rorqual, in which the teeth are only embryonic.—v.i. to take whales.—ns. Whale′-back, a boat whose maindecks are covered in and rounded, for rough seas; Whale′-boat, a long, narrow boat used in the pursuit of whales; Whale′bone, a light flexible substance consisting of the baleen plates of the Arctic and allied whales.—adj. made of whalebone.—ns. Whale′-calf, a young whale—also Calf whale; Whale′-fish′er, one engaged in whale-fishery or the hunting of whales; Whale′-fish′ery; Whale′-fish′ing; Whale′-line, strong rope used for harpoon-lines in the whale-fishery; Whale′-louse, a genus of Crustacea, parasitic on the skin of Cetaceans; Whale′-man, Whāl′er, a person employed in whale-fishing; Whale′-oil, oil obtained from the blubber of a whale; Whāl′er, Whale′ship, a ship employed in the whale-fishing; Whāl′ery, whaling.—adj. Whāl′ing, connected with whale-catching.—n. the business of catching whales.—ns. Whāl′ing-gun, a contrivance for killing whales by means of a projectile; Whāl′ing-mas′ter, the captain of a whaler; Whāl′ing-port, a port where whalers are registered.—Whale's bone, ivory.—Bull whale, an adult male whale. [A.S. hwæl (Ice. hvalr, Ger. walfisch); orig. unknown.]