| a whale of a |
(informal) an exceptionally large or fine example of a (class of objects or persons). |
| blue whale |
a mammal that lives in the ocean. Blue whales are the largest kind of animal that has ever lived. They can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh up to 150 tons. Their large mouths have baleen instead of teeth. Blue whales use baleen to filter lots of very small food such as shrimp from ocean water. |
| gray whale |
a medium-sized mostly gray or black whalebone whale of the North Pacific. |
| killer whale |
a black and white, toothed whale. Killer whales kill and eat seals and large fish. |
| minke whale |
a small, fast-moving whale having furrows on its light belly and throat and a dorsal fin. |
| right whale |
any of several large whales lacking a dorsal fin, having a smooth throat, and having eyes set near the corners of the mouth. |
| sei whale |
a whalebone whale that has a bluish or gray back and appears in most of the world's seas. |
| sperm whale |
a very large mammal that lives in the ocean. Sperm whales dive very deeply and can hold their breath for over an hour. They are related to porpoises, dolphins, and other whales with teeth. Sperm whales are the largest toothed whale. |
| toothed whale |
any of various whales, such as the sperm whale, that have conical teeth in either or both jaws and a foreshortened, asymmetrical skull. (Cf. whalebone whale.) |
| whale shark |
an extremely large spotted shark that feeds mainly on plankton and small fishes. |
| whalebone whale |
any of various whales, such as the right whales and the rorqual, having toothless jaws and whalebone on the sides of the upper jaw. (Cf. toothed whale.) |
| white whale |
see "beluga." |