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Definition of minke whale
minke whale
Plural:minke whales
minke whale Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
7
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A relatively small, dark gray to black baleen whale of the rorqual family (genus Balaenoptera), found in oceans worldwide and typically characterized by a distinct white band on each of its pectoral fins.
Example
"During the marine biology expedition off the coast of Scotland, the researchers were thrilled to observe a minke whale briefly surfacing for air before diving back into the deep."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for minke whaleWord Origin & Etymology
The name 'minke' originated in the late 19th or early 20th century, purportedly derived from a Norwegian novice whaler named Meincke, who supposedly mistook a small minke whale for a massive blue whale. The crew mockingly called the smaller species 'Meincke's whale', which was later anglicized to 'minke whale'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Minke whale. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/minke whale