whale

baleine

Très grand animal vivant dans la mer, respirant de l’air et nourrissant ses petits avec du lait.

En anglais simple : A very large animal that lives in the sea, breathes air, and feeds its young with milk.

• We saw a whale from the boat.
• Whales come to the surface to breathe.
• A blue whale can grow very large.

Expressions courantes : blue whale, humpback whale, whale watching

cétacé

Tout mammifère marin du groupe comprenant les grandes baleines, les dauphins et les marsouins.

En anglais simple : Any animal in the sea mammal group that includes large whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

• In this classification, a dolphin is a whale.
• Toothed whales include porpoises and dolphins.
• Scientists group these whale species by their ancestry.

Synonymes : cetacean

Expressions courantes : toothed whale, whale species, whale family

chasser la baleine

Chasser les baleines pour leur graisse, leur viande ou d’autres produits.

En anglais simple : To hunt large sea mammals for their oil, meat, or other products.

• The crew whaled in northern waters.
• Those ships used to whale for oil.
• They no longer whale commercially.

Expressions courantes : whale commercially, whale offshore, whale for oil

frapper, rouer de coups

Frapper quelqu’un ou quelque chose fortement et à plusieurs reprises.

En anglais simple : To hit someone or something hard many times.

• He whaled on the bag.
• The attacker whaled on him with both fists.
• She was whaling on the stuck door with a hammer.

Comment l'utiliser : whale on someone/something (He began to whale on the punching bag.)

Synonymes : beat, pound, thrash

Expressions courantes : whale on someone, whale on something