humpback

American  

[huhmp-bak] / ˈhʌmpˌbæk /

noun

1. a back that is humped in a convex position.

2. kyphosis.

3. the humpback whale.

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humpback British  

/ ˈhʌmpˌbæk /

noun

1. another word for hunchback

2. Also called: humpback whale.  a large whalebone whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, closely related and similar to the rorquals but with a humped back and long flippers: family Balaenopteridae

3. a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, the male of which has a humped back and hooked jaws

4. Also called: humpback bridge.  a road bridge having a sharp incline and decline and usually a narrow roadway

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Other Word Forms

• humpbacked adjective

Etymology

Origin of humpback

First recorded in 1690–1700; apparently back formation from humpbacked

Example Sentences

A humpback whale stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast since early this week has freed itself and swum into deeper waters, rescuers said Friday.

From Barron's

A humpback whale has freed itself from a sandbank near the German coastal city of Lübeck, after a series of rescue attempts.

From BBC

Rescuers are continuing to try and save a stranded humpback whale off Germany's north coast.

From BBC

About a dozen species of marine mammals are also found there, including humpback whales and whale sharks.

From Barron's

Researchers analyzed nearly 20 years of data from humpback whales that breed in the waters around New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

From Science Daily