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

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

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 • Apr. 3, 2025

North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, which feed by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their comb-like baleen plates that trap copepods and other zooplankton.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024

While previous studies have linked caller identity to acoustic tag data, this is the first robust method for studying large baleen whales, like humpback whales.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

Kaz waited as long as he dared to bite into his own baleen.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• mammal
• porpoise