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Glite Dictionary
sulfur bottom

sulfur bottom

8.1
A very large blue-grey whale that migrates in southern oceans
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌlfər ˈbɑːtəm/
  • US
translation icon : ballena azul
  • The sulfur bottom is the largest mammal on Earth.

Examples

  • Marine biologists studied the migration patterns of the sulfur bottom to better understand ocean ecosystems.

  • The enormous sulfur bottom is seldom seen close to shore.

  • Early whalers told tales of the elusive sulfur bottom they encountered in southern waters.

  • Did you know that the sulfur bottoms migrate thousands of miles?

  • Marine biologists studied the migration patterns of the sulfur bottom to better understand ocean ecosystems.

  • Early whalers told tales of the elusive sulfur bottom they encountered in southern waters.

  • The enormous sulfur bottom is seldom seen close to shore.

Synonyms

blue whale
vssulfur bottom
211 1.4

A very large whale that is bluish grey and the largest animal ever

is an alternative or less common name for the same animal
Balaenoptera musculus
vssulfur bottom
  • Specialized
8.5

A very large blue-grey whale that eats small sea animals and lives in oceans worldwide

is the informal or alternative name used outside scientific contexts

Surface Forms

sulfur bottom singular
sulfur bottoms plural

Morphology

sulfur + bottom

The meanings of the constituents ('sulfur' = a yellow chemical element; 'bottom' = an older term for a ship) give no transparent clue to a large bluish-grey mammal. The form appears to be a non-compositional or historical label whose referent (blue whale) cannot be predicted from the parts, so learners would not infer the meaning from the words alone.

Etymology

Sulfur bottom may come from old sailors who saw a pale yellow patch on the whale's underside and compared sulfur (a yellow substance) on its bottom (belly). That's why the name was used for the great 'blue whale' they met in southern seas.