whaling

[ hwey-ling, wey- ]

/ ˈʰweɪ lɪŋ, ˈweɪ- /

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See synonyms for: whaling / whalings on Thesaurus.com

noun

the work or industry of capturing and rendering whales; whale fishing.

Digital Technology. a phishing attempt by someone posing as a company’s attorney, CEO, vendor, or other authorized entity in order to scam a payroll department, corporate executive, etc., out of money or confidential information: The source of the whaling gave all appearances of legitimacy and trustworthiness.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of whaling

whale¹ + -ing¹;def. 1 was first recorded in 1680–90; def. 2 in 2010–15 (in the sense “hunting for a big fish/phish”)

OTHER WORDS FROM whaling

an·ti·whal·ing, adjective

Words nearby whaling

whaler, whaler shark, Whales, whale shark, whalesucker, whaling, whaling port, wham, whammo, whammy, whammy bar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use whaling in a sentence

In the 18th and 19th centuries, these societies were confronted with the terrors of commercial whaling.
Sperm whales have a surprisingly deep—and useful—culture|Ellie Shechet|March 19, 2021|Popular-Science
Legislation passed in the 1970s effectively put a stop to commercial whaling in the United States.
50 years ago, U.S. commercial whaling was coming to an end|Jonathan Lambert|March 4, 2021|Science News
It was developed by islanders who from at least the 18th century survived by trading woolen products with the crews on passing cargo, fishing and whaling ships.
Sweater weather transports this writer to places like Scotland, Ireland and Norway|Karen Gardiner|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
This whaling drove the global population from perhaps 100,000 to as few as 500 whales in 1920.
The secret to helping this resilient whale species lies in its genes|By Emma Carroll/The Conversation|November 2, 2020|Popular-Science

Smith says he’s now trying to determine if human activities, such as whaling, have led to the extinction of any of these unusual creatures.
Whales get a second life as deep-sea buffets|Stephen Ornes|October 15, 2020|Science News For Students
His great grandfather sailed from Cape Verde and was involved in the whaling industry of Nantucket Island, Mass.
Inside The Growing Organic Halal Movement|Sharon Adarlo|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Japanese will have to give up whaling “research” that killed many hundreds of the huge sea mammals each year.
Court Rules Japan Can No Longer Slaughter Whales in The Antarctic|Jake Adelstein, Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Court concluded that the hunts are actually whaling expeditions, not scientific research as Japan has claimed for many years.
Court Rules Japan Can No Longer Slaughter Whales in The Antarctic|Jake Adelstein, Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many argued that the feasibility study itself was commercial whaling.
Court Rules Japan Can No Longer Slaughter Whales in The Antarctic|Jake Adelstein, Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I do have a certain amount of moral discomfort because of the situation with whaling.
How to Think With Your Gut|Mindy Farabee|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And as for this other thing—the industrial side of it: that's a large order; a whaling big order.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde
The business isn't what it was; in the old days whale-oil was worth a great deal and whaling was a good business.
The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
Well, if the oil is replaced and whalebone has no value, what is to be got out of whaling now, then?
The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
But Portsmouth is not the place for whaling vessels, not one such being there.
The Land of Fire|Mayne Reid
Five new whalers are to be added to the whaling fleet of Peterhead next season.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for whaling

whaling

/ (ˈweɪlɪŋ) /

noun

the work or industry of hunting and processing whales for food, oil, etc

adverb

informal (intensifier)a whaling good time

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

whaling

Origin of whaling

OTHER WORDS FROM whaling

Words nearby whaling

Words related to whaling

How to use whaling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whaling