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whalebone whale

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noun
  1. any whale of the suborder Mysticeti, having plates of whalebone on the sides of the upper jaw for filtering plankton from the water.
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Compare toothed whale.

Origin of whalebone whale

First recorded in 1715–25
Also called baleen whale.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for whalebone whale

whalebone whale

noun
  1. any whale belonging to the cetacean suborder Mysticeti, having a double blowhole and strips of whalebone between the jaws instead of teeth: includes the rorquals, right whales, and the blue whaleCompare toothed whale
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012