Webster's English Dictionary

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whale

1. whale \'hwa-(*)l, 'wa-(*)l\ n or whales;  or whale [ME, fr. OE hwl; 
   akin to OHG hwal whale] pl  often attrib  pl  1: an aquatic mammal (order 
   Cetacea) that superficially resembles a large f ish and is valued 
   commercially for its oil, flesh, and sometimes whalebone; esp : one of the 
   larger members of this group 2: a person or thing impressive in size or 
   qualities {a ~ of a diff erence} {a ~ of a story}
2. whale vi : to engage in whale fishing 
3. whale vt [origin unknown] 1: LASH, THRASH  2: to strike or hit 
   vigorously  3: to defeat soundly