whale shark

American  

noun

1. a tropical shark, Rhincodon typus, ranging in size from 30 to 60 feet (9 to 18 meters), having small teeth and a sievelike structure over its gills for catching plankton.

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whale shark British  

noun

1. a large spotted whalelike shark, Rhincodon typus, of warm seas, that feeds on plankton and small animals: family Rhincodontidae

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Etymology

Origin of whale shark

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

“I began to look into it and found that at the very end of her track she began to speed up,” said Green, co-founder and director of the Galápagos Whale Shark Project.

From The Guardian • Aug. 6, 2020

“Here is the biggest fish in the oceans, it’s almost certainly the biggest shark,” says Jonathan R Green, the director of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project.

From The Guardian • Jul. 9, 2020