basking shark

[ bas-king, bah-sking ]

noun

1. a large shark, Cetorhinus maximus, of cold and temperate seas, that often swims slowly or floats at the surface.

basking shark

noun

1. a very large plankton-eating shark, Cetorhinus maximus , often floating at the sea surface: family Cetorhinidae Also calledsailfish

Word History and Origins

Origin of basking shark¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

He once led a boat in hot pursuit of what he thought was a school bus–size basking shark—only to find the wake he was following came from a lone salmon.

From Science Magazine

"But Wales hosts a range of different shark species, over 25 in fact, from one of the rarest in the world - the angel shark - to one of the largest, which is the basking shark."

From BBC

"Leaving the Isle of Man I was followed by a basking shark, it wasn't going to eat me but it was still very scary," she says.

From BBC

“The dorsal fin on a basking shark is rounded on top and convex in the back,” she said, making shapes with her hand.

From Literature

"They are normally in deeper water, so if it was a basking shark, then that was really rare," he said.

From BBC