whalebone

noun

whale·​bone ˈ(h)wāl-ˌbōn How to pronounce whalebone (audio)
1
: baleen
2
: an article made of whalebone

Examples of whalebone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The park is home to a collection of historic buildings, including California's First Theater, the oldest government building in the Golden State, and one of the nation’s last remaining whalebone sidewalks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026 Their ancestors had carved a civilization out of the ice with tools made from whalebone and meteorite fragments. — Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026 By 1974, though, many women had already discarded those notions as instruments of domination, psychic equivalents of the whalebone corset. — James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 The goal was to snag as many whales as possible, in pursuit of their highly valuable whale oil (extracted from blubber), sperm oil, and whalebone. — Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for whalebone

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whalebone was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing whalebone

Browse Nearby Words

whaleboat
whalebone
whalebone tree
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whalebone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whalebone. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

whalebone

noun
whale·​bone -ˌbōn How to pronounce whalebone (audio)
: baleen

More from Merriam-Webster on whalebone

Nglish: Translation of whalebone for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whalebone

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