HOW TO PRONOUNCE
whale
/ˈweɪl/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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What does whale mean?
noun
- Any large cetacean, usually with the exclusion of dolphins and porpoises.
- Any species of Cetacea, including dolphins and porpoises.
- (figuratively) Something, or someone, that is very large.
More meanings (9)
noun
- (figuratively) Something, or someone, that is excellent.
- (figuratively) A gambler who routinely wagers large amounts of money.
- (figuratively, informal) An investor who deals with very large amounts of money.
- (figuratively) A person who spends large amounts of money on things that are marketed to them.
- (derogatory, figuratively) An overweight person (usually a woman)
verb
- To hunt for whales.
- (slang) To thrash, to flog, to beat vigorously or soundly.
proper noun
- A surname.
- A hamlet in Lowther parish, Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, previously in Eden district (OS grid ref NY5221).
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈweɪl/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
“In that case, as I have never fished in these seas, I do not know the kind of whale frequenting them!”
So now you will have a chance of seeing something of the great sea outside, and of seeing, perhaps, the whale himself.
More book examples (3)
But Scoresby knew nothing and says nothing of the great sperm whale, compared with which the Greenland whale is almost unworthy mentioning.
A large supply of whale flesh was “shipped” as food for the dogs on the journey South, and this was eaten ravenously.
We were pleased to learn that the whalers had killed the only whale they saw, which augured a successful season for them.