finback
[fin-bak]
- any baleen whale of the genus Balaenoptera, having a prominent dorsal fin, especially B. physalus, of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; rorqual: an endangered species.
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Origin of finback
Also called finback whale, fin whale.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for finback
Contemporary Examples
Browne reminds us of the 2001 encounter between an American EP-3E surveillance aircraft and a Chinese "Finback" fighter jet.
Historical Examples
What's the difference between a 'finback' and a 'humpback,' Hank?
The Boy With the U. S. FisheriesFrancis Rolt-Wheeler
W'en I uz young 'n foolish, a finback range 'longside me one day, off de Seychelles.
The Cruise of the CachalotFrank T. Bullen
The big sulphurbottom is a kind of finback, an' is the largest animal livin'.
The Boy With the U. S. FisheriesFrancis Rolt-Wheeler
Now, a finback is built more for speed an' has a big fin on the back—that's where it gets its name.
The Boy With the U. S. FisheriesFrancis Rolt-Wheeler
finback
- another name for rorqual
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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