humpback
Americannoun
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another word for hunchback
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Also called: humpback whale. a large whalebone whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, closely related and similar to the rorquals but with a humped back and long flippers: family Balaenopteridae
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a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, the male of which has a humped back and hooked jaws
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Also called: humpback bridge. a road bridge having a sharp incline and decline and usually a narrow roadway
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humpback
First recorded in 1690–1700; apparently back formation from humpbacked
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The dead whale was discovered last weekend, two weeks after a private bid aimed at rescuing the humpback that spent weeks stranded along Germany's Baltic Sea coast.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
A pair of humpback whales swam record-breaking journeys between the eastern shores of Australia and breeding grounds in Brazil, research published on Wednesday found.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
The documented distance between sightings was 15,100 kilometers, setting a new record for the longest known movement of an individual humpback whale.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Danish environment officials are planning to remove the carcass of a humpback whale from the island of Anholt, as concerns are raised of a potential health risk.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
The Turk hoisted the Princess, began following the humpback.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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.
