Illustration of minke whale
variants
or less commonly minke
: a small gray to black baleen whale (genus Balaenoptera) with a whitish underside and a relatively narrow, pointed snout:
a
: one (B. acutorostrata) chiefly of the northern hemisphere
called also common minke whale, northern minke whale
b
: one (B. bonaerensis) of the southern hemisphere that was formerly classified in the same species as the northern form
called also Antarctic minke, southern minke whale
see rorqual
Examples of minke whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The algae has killed sea lions, dolphins and now whales, including a humpback whale and a minke whale, McClatchy News reported.
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Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The cause of death of a juvenile humpback whale stranded on Huntington Beach on Jan. 24 and a minke whale stranded on Long Beach on April 6 was determined to be domoic acid toxicosis, necropsies performed by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance found.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025
The latest whale death also comes about two weeks after a rare minke whale was discovered in the bay and later euthanized, officials said.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Investigators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were trying to determine what caused the minke whale’s death.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025
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Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The cause of death of a juvenile humpback whale stranded on Huntington Beach on Jan. 24 and a minke whale stranded on Long Beach on April 6 was determined to be domoic acid toxicosis, necropsies performed by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance found.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025
The latest whale death also comes about two weeks after a rare minke whale was discovered in the bay and later euthanized, officials said.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Investigators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were trying to determine what caused the minke whale’s death.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minke whale
Cite this Entry
“Minke whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minke%20whale. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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