great white shark

American  

noun

1. a large shark, Carcharodon carcharias, of tropical and temperate seas, known to occasionally attack swimmers.

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Etymology

Origin of great white shark

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

"By shedding light on the biology and ecology of the great white shark, research can help replace unfounded myths with genuine understanding."

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the agency, said officials suspected it was a great white shark, a species known to live in the area.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

It was a comment that has left fat cats like the Dodgers and New York Mets salivating at the possibility of reeling in the baseball equivalent of a great white shark before opening day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

“In contrast, the great white shark, with a stocky body that becomes even stockier as it grows, can be 'large' but cannot pass 23 feet to be 'gigantic' because of hydrodynamic constraints.”

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2025

I grabbed a yellow legal pad where Fred had recorded pages of notes on great white shark behavior, reproduction, and something called osmoregulation.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen