minke

American  

[ming-kee] / ˈmɪŋ ki /

noun

1. a dark-colored baleen whale, Baleanoptera acutorostrata, inhabiting temperate and polar seas and growing to a length of 33 feet (10 meters): reduced in numbers.

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Etymology

Origin of minke

1930–35; < Norwegian minkehval, allegedly after a crew member of the Norwegian whaling pioneer Svend Foyn (1809–94), named Meincke, who mistook a pod of minkes for blue whales

Example Sentences

Other whale species include North Pacific gray whales, the North Atlantic right whale, minke, sperm, fin and bowhead whales.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025

The study, published in Scientific Reports, found a steep rise in strandings involving common dolphins and baleen whales - filter-feeding species that include minke and humpback whales.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025

There are about 900 minke whales off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and California.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025

Marine wildlife experts on Thursday attempted to help direct a young minke whale out of Long Beach Harbor where it has been swimming for the last few days, according to authorities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

Figure 63.—Three views of minke whales at sea.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David