baleen

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/bəˈliːn/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bə lēn′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ba•leen  (bə lēn′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. whalebone (def. 1).
  • Latin, as above
  • Middle French balaine whale(bone)
  • an unidentified language, also the source of Greek phál(l)aina whale; replacing Middle English balayn
  • Latin bal(l)ēna, variant of bal(l)aena whale
  • Anglo-French baleine, beleine)
  • Middle English balene (1275–1325

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
baleen /bəˈliːn/ n
  1. whalebone
Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin bālaena whale; related to Greek phalaina whale
'baleen' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
baleen whale - whalebone - blue whale - finback - minke - mysticete - whalebone whale

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