humpback

[ huhmp-bak ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

humpback

/ ˈhʌmpˌbæk /

See hunchback
another word for hunchback
Also calledhumpback whale a large whalebone whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, closely related and similar to the rorquals but with a humped back and long flippers: family Balaenopteridae
a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, the male of which has a humped back and hooked jaws
Also calledhumpback bridge a road bridge having a sharp incline and decline and usually a narrow roadway

First recorded in 1690–1700; apparently back formation from humpbacked

C17: alteration of earlier crumpbacked, perhaps influenced by hunchback ; perhaps related to Dutch homp lump

Humpback whales are seasonal migrants found in all of the world's oceans.

The present population of humpback whales in the North Pacific is estimated to be about 1,000 animals.

The distribution, movements, abundance, and habitat requirements of humpback whales are not well known.

Much of the exploitation of humpback whales occurred in the twentieth century, especially during the early 1960's.

In 1966, the International Whaling Commission imposed a worldwide ban on the taking of humpback whales.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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