baleen
|ba-leen|
/bəˈliːn/
whale filtering plates
Etymology
'baleen' originates from French, specifically the word 'baleine', where 'baleine' meant 'whale' (ultimately from Latin 'balena' and Greek 'phalaina').
'baleen' changed from Middle English/Old French forms related to 'baleine' (meaning 'whale') and eventually became the modern English word 'baleen' referring to the whalebone plates.
Initially, it referred to the material or 'whalebone' (used as a stiffening material), but over time it evolved into its current primary meaning of 'the filtering plates in baleen whales'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the fringe-like keratin plates in the mouths of baleen whales used to filter small organisms (such as krill) from seawater.
The whale strained vast quantities of seawater through its baleen to catch krill.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 05:10