sperm whale

noun

ˈspərm- How to pronounce sperm whale (audio)
: 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)

Illustration of sperm whale

Illustration of sperm whale

Examples of sperm whale 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.
Yeah, you can get swallowed by a sperm whale. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026 Once swallowed by a sperm whale, he's left with just one hour of oxygen in his tank. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 Real sperm whales cruise around in the ocean going to war with giant squid. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026 Choosing to center an entire film inside a sperm whale wasn’t just for a catchy log line. — Matt Minton, Variety, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sperm whale

Word History

Etymology

short for spermaceti whale

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sperm whale was circa 1700

Rhymes for sperm whale

See All Rhymes for sperm whale

Browse Nearby Words

-spermum
sperm whale
sperm-whale porpoise
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sperm whale

noun
: a large toothed whale with a large chamber in the skull that contains a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil

More from Merriam-Webster on sperm whale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sperm whale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All