whale shark


noun

a tropical shark, Rhincodon typus, ranging in size from 30 to 60 feet (9 to 18 meters), having small teeth and a sievelike structure over its gills for catching plankton.

Origin of whale shark

First recorded in 1880–85

British Dictionary definitions for whale shark

whale shark

noun

a large spotted whalelike shark, Rhincodon typus, of warm seas, that feeds on plankton and small animals: family Rhincodontidae