right whale

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

right′ whale′, 

1. Mammals any of several large whalebone whales of the genus Balaena, of circumpolar seas: the species B. glacialis is greatly reduced in numbers.

• allegedly so called because it was the "right'' whale to hunt, alluding to its relative buoyancy when killed, proximity to land, the value of its blubber, etc. 1715–25

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

right whale noun

1. any large whalebone whale of the family Balaenidae. They are grey or black, have a large head, and, in most, no dorsal fin, and are hunted as a source of whalebone and oil
   See also bowhead

Etymology: 19th Century: perhaps so named because it was right for hunting