baleen

American  

[buh-leen] / bəˈlin /

noun

1. an elastic, horny substance growing in place of teeth in the upper jaw of certain whales, and forming a series of thin, parallel plates on each side of the palate; whalebone.

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baleen British  

/ bəˈliːn /

noun

1. whalebone

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baleen Scientific  

/ bə-lēn′ /

1. A flexible horny substance hanging in fringed plates from the upper jaw of baleen whales. It is used to strain plankton from seawater when feeding.

2. Also called whalebone

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Etymology

Origin of baleen

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English balene (from Anglo-French baleine, beleine, ) from Latin bal(l)ēna, variant of bal(l)aena “whale,” from an unidentified language, also the source of Greek phál(l)aina “whale”; replacing Middle English balayn, Middle French balaine “whale(bone),” from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

It’s there that the baleen filter feeders spend the summer gorging on tiny crustaceans from the muddy bottom of the Bering, Chuckchi and Beaufort seas, creating shallow pits or potholes in the process.

From Los Angeles Times

Minke whales are considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, and can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

From Los Angeles Times

Minke whales, considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

From Los Angeles Times

Minke whales, considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, can grow up to 26 feet long and weigh up to 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

From Los Angeles Times

Filter feeders are everywhere in the animal world, from tiny crustaceans and certain types of coral and krill, to various molluscs, barnacles, and even massive basking sharks and baleen whales.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• mammal
• porpoise