basking shark

American  

[bas-king, bah-sking] / ˈbæs kɪŋ, ˈbɑ skɪŋ /

noun

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

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basking shark British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of basking shark

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

“Living gigantic sharks, such as the whale shark and basking shark, as well as many other gigantic aquatic vertebrates like whales have slender bodies because large stocky bodies are hydrodynamically inefficient for swimming,” Shimada said.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2025

Oregon's Department of Fish & Wildlife lists the salmon shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue shark as native to its coastal waters, among others.

From Fox News • Aug. 26, 2021

A few months earlier, it was suggested a large shark seen off Cornwall was a great white - this turned out to be a harmless juvenile basking shark.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2015

Steinbeck reported that he once saw Ricketts crawl inside a rotting basking shark to retrieve the liver for study.

From Nature • Dec. 16, 2014

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

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen