right whale

noun

any of several large whalebone whales of the genus Balaena, of circumpolar seas: the species B. glacialis is greatly reduced in numbers.

Origin of right whale

First recorded in 1715–25; allegedly so called because it was the “right” whale to hunt, alluding to its relative buoyancy when killed, proximity to land, the value of its blubber, etc.

Words nearby right whale

right triangle, right up one's alley, right ventricle, right ventricular failure, right ventricular opening, right whale, right wing, right-angled triangle, right-brained, right-branching, right-click

Example sentences from the Web for right whale

  • And the right-whale, not to be done in oddity, carries all his on his gums.

    Madam How and Lady Why |Charles Kingsley

  • On the separate subject of the Greenland or right-whale, he is the best existing authority.

    Moby Dick; or The Whale |Herman Melville

British Dictionary definitions for right whale

right whale

noun

any large whalebone whale of the family Balaenidae. They are grey or black, have a large head, and, in most, no dorsal fin, and are hunted as a source of whalebone and oil See also bowhead

Word Origin for right whale

C19: perhaps so named because it was right for hunting