a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
"The whale of an actor commanded the stage with his towering presence and commanding voice."
any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head
"The massive whale breached the ocean surface, its streamlined body cutting through the waves as it prepared to exhale from the blowhole on top of its head."
Any one of numerous large marine mammals comprising an informal group within infraorder Cetacea that usually excludes dolphins and porpoises.
"The humpback whale breached the surface, clearly distinct from the smaller dolphins swimming nearby."
In plain English: A whale is a very large marine mammal that lives underwater and breathes air through its nose.
"The giant whale breached the surface of the ocean for air."
Usage: As a noun, whale refers specifically to the massive ocean mammal distinct from smaller cetaceans like dolphins. As a verb, it means to strike someone violently with repeated blows rather than simply hitting them once.
To hunt for whales.
"The angry coach began to whale his players on the practice field until they were exhausted."
To thrash, to flog, to beat vigorously or soundly.
In plain English: To whale means to hit something very hard with your hand, usually as part of an angry outburst.
"The company whale its competitors by lowering prices to drive them out of business."
A surname.
"The local library was recently renamed in honor of Mr. Whale, a generous donor whose family has lived there for generations."
The word "whale" comes from Old English hwæl and traveled into modern English with its original meaning intact. Its roots extend back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷálos, which referred generally to a large sea fish or sheatfish.