whale 1 
(wāl, hwāl)
(wāl, hwāl)n.
1.
a. Any of various marine mammals of the order Cetacea; a cetacean.
b. Any of various larger members of this order, including the blue whale, humpback whale, and right whale, in contrast to the porpoises and dolphins.
2. Informal An impressive example: a whale of a story.
intr.v. whaled, whal·ing, whales
To engage in the hunting of whales.
[Middle English, from Old English hwæl.]
- Indo-European root: melə-
- Indo-European root: men-
- Indo-European root: men-
- Indo-European root: men-
- Indo-European root: men-
- Indo-European root: mendh-
- Indo-European root: menegh-
- Indo-European root: mer-
- Indo-European root: merg-
- Indo-European root: meuə-
- Indo-European root: mizdho-
- Indo-European root: mori-
- Indo-European root: mregh-u-
- Indo-European root: mā-
- Indo-European root: mā-
- Indo-European root: māk-
- Indo-European root: māter-
- Indo-European root: mē-
- Indo-European root: mē-
- Indo-European root: mē-
- Indo-European root: mē-
- Indo-European root: mūs-
- Indo-European root: nas-
- Indo-European root: ne
- Indo-European root: nebh-