Meaning & use
minke
Last updated
UK/ˈmɪŋki/
US/ˈmɪŋki/
Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A small baleen whale, also called a minke whale, found in cold and temperate seas around the world.
Grammar: Often used as an adjective-like noun before whale: a minke whale.
Patterns
- a minke whale
- hunt minke
We saw a minke surface near the boat.
The minke is one of the smallest baleen whales.
Tourists went whale watching and spotted a pair of minke.
Word forms
| plural | minkes |
|---|
Common combinations
- minke whale
- The minke whale feeds on small fish and krill.
- spot a minke
- We spotted a minke off the coast of Scotland.
- minke whaling
- Minke whaling is controversial.
- Antarctic minke
- The Antarctic minke lives in cold southern waters.
- minke population
- The minke population is monitored by scientists.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lesser rorqual
- Lesser rorqual is an older, more technical name for the minke whale.
- baleen whale
- Baleen whale is the wider group that the minke belongs to, which includes larger species like the blue whale.
Word family
- whale noun
- a very large sea mammal
- whaling noun
- the activity of hunting whales
- whaler noun
- a person or ship that hunts whales
Commonly confused: minke or mink?
minke vs mink
A mink is a small furry land animal hunted for its coat, and is not a whale.
Practice
What kind of animal is a minke?
Choose one answer.
A minke is a small baleen whale. Mink, not minke, is the furry land animal.
Make it your own
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