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    whale

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    whale
    I
    whale1 /weɪl/ noun [countable]
     Language: Old English
     Origin: hwæl
    1. a very large animal that lives in the sea and looks like a fish, but is actually a mammal
    2. have a whale of a time informal to enjoy yourself very much
         
    COLLOCATIONS
    ■ adjectives
       ▪ a beached/stranded whale (=one that is stuck on land) The beached whales are quite obviously very distressed.
    ■ verbs
       ▪ go whale-watching You can go whale watching off the coast.
       ▪ hunt whales Some countries continue to hunt whales, even though they have no real use for them and the whales are in danger of extinction.
       ▪ save the whales Greenpeace campaigns to save the whales.
       ▪ a whale breaches (=comes up through the surface of the water) He got a picture of a whale breaching, with droplets of water glittering in the sun.
    ■ phrases
       ▪ a school/pod of whales (=a group of whales) A school of sperm whales was sighted.
    ■ whale + NOUN
       ▪ whale music/song (=sounds made by whales) Scientists believe that whale song is used to communicate.
       ▪ whale oil (=fat from whales that has been made into oil) Whale oil was used in lamps.
       ▪ whale meat Whale meat was once part of the local people's diet.
       ▪ whale blubber (=fat from whales)

    II
    whale2 verb [intransitive] American English
     Date: 1700-1800
     Origin: Perhaps from wale 'to mark someone's skin by hitting them' (15-20 centuries), from wale 'weal'; ⇨ weal
    whale into/on somebody/something to start hitting someone or something