whalebone, baleen
(noun) a horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets
Source: WordNet® 3.1
whalebone (countable and uncountable, plural whalebones)
The horny material from the fringed plates of the upper jaw of baleen whales that are used to filter plankton; once used as stays in corsets
• baleen
Source: Wiktionary
Whale"bone`, n.
Definition: A firm, elastic substance resembling horn, taken from the upper jaw of the right whale; baleen. It is used as a stiffening in stays, fans, screens, and for various other purposes. See Baleen.
Note: Whalebone is chiefly obtained from the bowhead, or Greenland, whale, the Biscay whale, and the Antarctic, or southern, whale. It is prepared for manufacture by being softened by boiling, and dyed black.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
2 May 2025
(noun) excavation consisting of a vertical or sloping passageway for finding or mining ore or for ventilating a mine
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
