# minke

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɪŋki/ · frequency rank #69,250

## Definitions
1. Synonym of minke whale.

## Etymology
From Norwegian minkehval, allegedly after a crew member of the Norwegian whaling pioneer Svend Foyn (1809–1894), named Meincke, who mistook a pod of minkes for blue whales.

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