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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

humpback whales

plural

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.

See Examples For:

humpback whale

Eager cruise passengers zipping around New York's southern shores rush to the starboard bow: a humpback whale is up for air, a breathtaking sighting set against Manhattan's iconic skyline.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The carcass of a dead humpback whale whose attempted rescue captivated many across Germany has been pulled ashore.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

Researchers first photographed it in 2003 at Brazil's Abrolhos Bank, the country's main humpback whale nursery off the coast of Bahia.

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

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