basking shark

[bas-king, bah-sking]

noun

a large shark, Cetorhinus maximus, of cold and temperate seas, that often swims slowly or floats at the surface.

Origin of basking shark

First recorded in 1760–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for basking shark

basking shark

noun

a very large plankton-eating shark, Cetorhinus maximus, often floating at the sea surface: family CetorhinidaeAlso called: sailfish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012