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
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Marine scientists had long speculated that sperm whales dive all the way to the ocean floor to hunt for food.
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Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Male sperm whales can measure 60 feet in length, while smaller females can measure 37 feet, per the Marine Mammal Center.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2025
While the film’s name pays tribute to the iconic giant squid and sperm whale diorama at the American Museum of Natural History, its lens lingers longest in the picturesque neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, where two boys reckon with the turmoil of their parents’ divorce.
—Vogue, 25 Jan. 2025
What happened to the Essex? On Nov. 20, 1820, a whaling ship from Nantucket, Mass., was attacked by a large sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025
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Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Male sperm whales can measure 60 feet in length, while smaller females can measure 37 feet, per the Marine Mammal Center.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2025
While the film’s name pays tribute to the iconic giant squid and sperm whale diorama at the American Museum of Natural History, its lens lingers longest in the picturesque neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, where two boys reckon with the turmoil of their parents’ divorce.
—Vogue, 25 Jan. 2025
What happened to the Essex? On Nov. 20, 1820, a whaling ship from Nantucket, Mass., was attacked by a large sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 8 Jan. 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 3 Jun. 2025.
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