Definition of "blue whale" []

• A very large whalebone whale (Balaenoptera musculus) having a bluish-gray back, yellow underparts, and several ventral throat grooves. It is considered the largest living animal, sometimes reaching a length of 30.5 meters (100 feet). Also called sulphur-bottom. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "An unexpected beat on a snare drum made a French horn splutter out a belching sound, and in the back of the band something big emitted a snort, one that made Lisa think of a blue whale that had just surfaced after a week underwater."