humpback whale

American

[huhmp-bak hweyl, weyl] / ˈhʌmpˌbæk ˌʰweɪl, ˌweɪl /

noun

a large baleen whale of the genus Megaptera having long narrow flippers, and noted for its habit of arching deeply as it dives: an endangered species.

Etymology

Origin of humpback whale

First recorded in 1715–25

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 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

A humpback whale rescued after beaching itself in Germany has been found dead near a Danish island.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

More than five weeks after a humpback whale became stranded in shallow waters on the German coast, a barge has ferried the animal out of German waters, en route to the North Sea.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The sad saga of a humpback whale stranded a month ago on the German coast has sparked a flood of compassion but also a media frenzy, angry spats, conspiracy theories and death threats.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Arion jumped over a breaching humpback whale and kept galloping, startling a pack of seals off an iceberg.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023