Illustration of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
Examples of sperm whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Caribbean island of Dominica is home to resident sperm whales.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
That started to change with mounting clues: squid beaks and body parts discovered in the stomachs of sperm whales, and occasional dead specimens snagged by deep-sea fishing vessels.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
And beyond baleen whales, the sperm whale is another king-sized species that may make an appearance for guests.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
In 2018, a team of archaeologists discovered a fragment of a sperm whale tooth at Valencina, a Copper Age archaeological site near Seville in southwest Spain.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2025
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
That started to change with mounting clues: squid beaks and body parts discovered in the stomachs of sperm whales, and occasional dead specimens snagged by deep-sea fishing vessels.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
And beyond baleen whales, the sperm whale is another king-sized species that may make an appearance for guests.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
In 2018, a team of archaeologists discovered a fragment of a sperm whale tooth at Valencina, a Copper Age archaeological site near Seville in southwest Spain.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sperm whale
Cite this Entry
“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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