minke
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of minke
1930–35; < Norwegian minkehval, allegedly after a crew member of the Norwegian whaling pioneer Svend Foyn (1809–94), named Meincke, who mistook a pod of minkes for blue whales
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, found a steep rise in strandings involving common dolphins and baleen whales - filter-feeding species that include minke and humpback whales.
From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025
A minke whale has beached and died at Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry.
From BBC • May 26, 2025
Investigators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were trying to determine what caused the minke whale’s death.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025
Marine wildlife experts on Thursday attempted to help direct a young minke whale out of Long Beach Harbor where it has been swimming for the last few days, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025
Note the two areas of light gray on the sides of the body, characteristic of at least Pacific minke whales.
From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
