right whale (redirected from Right whales)

right whale

n.

Any of several whales of the family Balaenidae, characterized by a large head, whalebone plates in the mouth, and absence of a dorsal fin.

---

[Because it was the "right" whale to kill.]

---

right whale

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any large whalebone whale of the family Balaenidae. They are grey or black, have a large head, and, in most, no dorsal fin, and are hunted as a source of whalebone and oil See also bowhead

[perhaps so named because it was right for hunting]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

right whale - large Arctic whalebone whale; allegedly the `right' whale to hunt because of its valuable whalebone and oil baleen whale, whalebone whale - whale with plates of whalebone along the upper jaw for filtering plankton from the water Balaenidae, family Balaenidae - right whales