whale — a very large marine mammal with a streamlined body and flippers
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a very large marine mammal with a streamlined body and flippers
Pronunciation (IPA): /weɪl/
Example Sentences
- The whale's sneeze could probably blow away a small boat!
- Whales communicate through songs that travel thousands of miles underwater.
- My teacher said I eat like a whale when I finished three hamburgers.
whale
NOUN[/weɪl/]
a very large marine mammal with a streamlined body and flippers
Image coming soon
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Whale derives from Old English 'hwæl', a very ancient word inherited from Proto-Germanic. The term has been used to name these marine mammals since early human encounters with whales, making it one of the oldest continuous animal names in Germanic languages.
Breakdown
Old English 'hwæl' evolved directly into Modern English 'whale' with minimal morphological change. The word contains no productive prefixes or suffixes, representing a simple root noun from Proto-Germanic origin.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The whale's sneeze could probably blow away a small boat!”
“Whales communicate through songs that travel thousands of miles underwater.”
“My teacher said I eat like a whale when I finished three hamburgers.”
“The documentary showed how whales migrate across oceans.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.