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basking shark

American  
[bas-king, bah-sking] / ˈbæs kɪŋ, ˈbɑ skɪŋ /

noun

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

basking shark British  

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of basking shark

First recorded in 1760–70

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.