I. whale 1 /weɪl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: hwæl ]
1 . a very large animal that lives in the sea and looks like a fish, but is actually a ↑ mammal
2 . have a whale of a time informal to enjoy yourself very much
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a beached/stranded whale (=one that is stuck on land)
The beached whales are quite obviously very distressed.
■ verbs
▪ go whale-watching
You can go whale watching off the coast.
▪ hunt whales
Some countries continue to hunt whales, even though they have no real use for them and the whales are in danger of extinction.
▪ save the whales
Greenpeace campaigns to save the whales.
▪ a whale breaches (=comes up through the surface of the water)
He got a picture of a whale breaching, with droplets of water glittering in the sun.
■ phrases
▪ a school/pod of whales (=a group of whales)
A school of sperm whales was sighted.
■ whale + NOUN
▪ whale music/song (=sounds made by whales)
Scientists believe that whale song is used to communicate.
▪ whale oil (=fat from whales that has been made into oil)
Whale oil was used in lamps.
▪ whale meat
Whale meat was once part of the local people's diet.
▪ whale blubber (=fat from whales)
II. whale 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive] American English
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: Perhaps from wale 'to mark someone's skin by hitting them' (15-20 centuries) , from wale 'weal' ; ⇨ ↑ weal ]
whale into/on somebody/something to start hitting someone or something