What does whaleboat mean?
A whaleboat is a small, sturdy boat used during commercial whaling. It was launched from a larger whaling ship and rowed toward whales so that harpooners could pursue, strike, and secure their prey. These boats required skilled crews and offered limited shelter from cold, spray, and violent motion, making them symbols of the danger and hardship of historic whaling voyages. Although the term can refer to specialized small vessels in general, it is now encountered mainly in historical accounts, novels, and stories about seafaring life. It should not be confused with a whaler, which usually denotes the larger ship or a member of its crew. In modern writing, whaleboat most often appears in descriptions of Arctic or North Atlantic whaling, where its compact design and exposed rowing positions are central to the scene.
nounA small, sturdy boat used for catching whales, especially one sent out from a larger whaling ship to pursue and harpoon whales. The term is now chiefly found in historical and literary contexts.
- A small boat used in whaling operations, particularly for pursuing and harpooning whales from a larger vessel.
"The whaleboat rowed through the icy water as the crew searched for a breaching whale."
"From the deck of the whaling ship, the crew watched the whaleboat disappear into the fog."
"The novel describes a young sailor learning the ropes aboard a New England whaleboat."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s and refers to two or more whaleboats.
"Several whaleboats were lowered from the ship before dawn."
A whaleboat was the little boat that did the whale’s most dangerous work, racing beside the mother ship to pursue and harpoon its quarry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of whaleboat
Whaleboat is an English compound formed from whale and boat, both of which are inherited from Old English. The compound belongs to the historical period of commercial whaling, when small boats were sent from larger vessels to pursue and harpoon whales. Its formation reflects the same whale-based vocabulary seen in related words such as whalebone, whalery, and whaleship.
Related word forms
How whaleboat is actually used
The word is mostly historical or literary today. It may evoke the dangerous, arduous world of commercial whaling, especially in narratives about the North Atlantic or North Pacific.
Easily confused with whaleboat
A whaleboat is a small boat used to pursue and harpoon whales, whereas a whaler is generally a larger whaling ship or a member of its crew.