Real Dictionary

whale
countable noun: Whales are very large mammals that live in the sea.

whale in American English 1
any member of either of two orders (Mysticeta and Odontoceta) of aquatic mammals that breathe air, bear live young, and have front limbs that have been modified into flippers, and a flat, horizontal tail
to engage in the work of hunting whales

whale in American English 2
to beat; whip; thrash
verb: to hit, thrash, or beat soundly

whale in American Englishesp collectively 1
intransitive verb: to engage in whaling or whale fishing
noun: any of the larger marine mammals of the order Cetacea, esp. as distinguished from the smaller dolphins and porpoises, having a fishlike body, forelimbs modified into flippers, and a head that is horizontally flattened

whale in British English 1
noun: any of the larger cetacean mammals, excluding dolphins, porpoises, and narwhals. They have flippers, a streamlined body, and a horizontally flattened tail and breathe through a blowhole on the top of the head

whale in British English 2
verb: to beat or thrash soundly