white whale

noun

1. beluga ( def 2 ).

white whale

noun

1. a small white toothed whale, Delphinapterus leucas, of northern waters: family Monodontidae Also calledbeluga

Word History and Origins

Origin of white whale¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

The tame white whale, which locals named Hvaldimir, made headlines five years ago amidst widespread speculation that it was a Russian spy.

From BBC

“This was Bill’s white whale and I don’t believe he was ever going to finish it,” says Kimmel, who let the journalist live at his house for months at one point so he could focus on the book instead of celebrity interviews to pay the rent.

From Los Angeles Times

Beside taste, price parity is the other white whale that meat and dairy substitutes have been chasing.

From Salon

As for Rome, he doesn’t regret devoting a career to chasing what some might see as a white whale.

From Science Magazine

Redmon’s loving devotion for the overseas tapes — his “white whale,” he says — comes through when he visits Salemi on multiple occasions, first to unveil the damage caused to some of the tapes because of neglect, and later to learn more about those responsible.

From Los Angeles Times