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baleen whale
[ buh-leen hweyl, weyl ]
noun
- any whale of the suborder Mysticeti, having plates of baleen on the sides of the upper jaw for filtering plankton from the water.
baleen whale
baleen whale
- Any of several usually large whales of the suborder Mysticeti, having a symmetrical skull with two blowholes and plates of baleen instead of teeth. Baleen whales include the humpback, blue, fin, minke, and right whales, and the rorquals.
- Compare toothed whale
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Word History and Origins
Origin of baleen whale1
First recorded in 1870–75
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