whale shark

American  

noun

1. a tropical shark, Rhincodon typus, ranging in size from 30 to 60 feet (9 to 18 meters), having small teeth and a sievelike structure over its gills for catching plankton.

---

whale shark British  

noun

1. a large spotted whalelike shark, Rhincodon typus, of warm seas, that feeds on plankton and small animals: family Rhincodontidae

---

Etymology

Origin of whale shark

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Friday's decisions move whale sharks, manta rays and devil rays onto Appendix I after countries on Thursday did the same for the critically endangered oceanic whitetip shark.

From Barron's

“Living gigantic sharks, such as the whale shark and basking shark, as well as many other gigantic aquatic vertebrates like whales have slender bodies because large stocky bodies are hydrodynamically inefficient for swimming,” Shimada said.

From Salon

The region is a biodiversity hotspot, home to over 500 fish species, 60 kinds of corals and one of the largest whale shark congregations on Earth.

From Science Daily

This includes groups of special sharks, such as endangered hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

From NewsForKids.net

Chicken cried about missing Rishi’s family and the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.

From Literature