whooping crane

noun

: a large white endangered North American crane (Grus americana) noted for its loud trumpeting call

Illustration of whooping crane

Illustration of whooping crane

Examples of whooping crane 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.
Shooting a whooping crane, even accidentally, can come at a cost to hunters, in fines or even jail time. — Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 20 Nov. 2025 One of the birds people are most likely to mistake for a whooping crane is a sandhill crane, its closest relative. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026 Above pictured are two whooping crane at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025 The first was in 1979 to allow construction on a dam on the Platte River in Wyoming, home to the whooping crane. — Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whooping crane

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whooping crane was in 1731

Rhymes for whooping crane

See All Rhymes for whooping crane

Browse Nearby Words

whooping cough
whooping crane
whooping swan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whooping crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whooping%20crane. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

whooping crane

noun
: a large white nearly extinct North American crane that has a loud trumpeting call

More from Merriam-Webster on whooping crane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whooping crane

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