whaling
Americannoun
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the work or industry of capturing and rendering whales; whale fishing.
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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.
noun
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of whaling
whale 1 + -ing 1; whaling def. 1 was first recorded in 1680–90; whaling def. 2 in 2010–15 (in the sense “hunting for a big fish/phish”)
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.
Whitby began a long and profitable history with whaling during the 18th Century and despite the controversial practice being outlawed in 1986 to protect the species, the arch remains popular with both visitors and locals.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Reports of sperm whales using their heads to strike objects date back to open-boat whaling in the 19th century.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 23, 2026
The Browns had a hand in everything from ironmaking and rum distilling to whaling and the slave trade.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
Compared to the sleek, minimalist driving environment of a Tesla Model Y, the Crosstrek’s looks like the helm of a whaling ship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
In this bizarre getup, Hudson made a grand entrance into a party at the whaling station, only to find himself the sole person in costume.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
