bowhead

[ boh-hed ]

/ ˈboʊˌhɛd /

noun

a whalebone whale, Balaena mysticetus, of northern seas, having an enormous head and mouth: an endangered species.

Nearby words

Origin of bowhead

First recorded in 1885–90; bow² + head

Also called Greenland whale.

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

Examples from the Web for bowhead

Somewhat crestfallen, the striking pair repaired to the Bowhead saloon to discuss the situation over a glass of beer.
Captain Scraggs|Peter B. Kyne
Bowhead whales sometimes breach, throwing most of the body clear of the surface and reentering with a resounding splash.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic|Stephen Leatherwood
We have seen them, a pack of hungry sea-wolves, surround a Bowhead whale!
The New North|Agnes Deans Cameron
It was on the ninth or tenth morning after our arrival on the grounds that a bowhead was raised, And two boats sent after him.
The Cruise of the Cachalot|Frank T. Bullen

Most of the whalebone which we use is obtained from the bowhead, or Greenland whale, which is found in the northern seas.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood

British Dictionary definitions for bowhead

bowhead

/ (ˈbəʊˌhɛd) /

noun

a large-mouthed arctic whale, Balaena mysticetus, that has become rare through overfishing but is now a protected species

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