# baleen

> English word · Noun · IPA /bəˈliːn/ · frequency rank #83,999

## Definitions
1. keratinous material that makes up the plates in the mouth of the baleen whale (Mysticeti), which it uses to trap its food; formerly used in corsetry.
2. A baleen whale (Mysticeti).
3. Any whale or large fish.

## Etymology
From Middle English baleyne, from Old French baleine (“whale, whalebone”), from Latin balaena (“whale”), from Ancient Greek φάλαινα (phálaina, “whale”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/baleen