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Glite Dictionary
whalelike

whalelike

3.9
Like a very large sea animal in shape, size, or movement
  • adjective
  • /ˈweɪlˌlaɪk/
translation icon : similar a una ballena
  • As they sailed through the calm sea, they admired the whalelike waves rolling gently toward the shore.

Examples

  • Then the upper lip slowly curled upward again, and the whalelike body sank back in its chair.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • About midnight, an obese young man seated at their table, who had been stealing food from all the plates around him, rose whalelike and surged to the stage.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • She let the lazy, whalelike roll of the ship carry her away from the glare of the sun, and she peered into the darkness, where she could see the stars.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The artist created a sculpture that featured a whalelike shape, large and majestic, captivating everyone who walked by.

  • The model airplane had a whalelike design, with a broad, rounded body that resembled a miniature whale.

Surface Forms

whalelike positive

Morphology

whalelike = whale (transparent) = whale + like

The adjective is a straightforward formation 'whale' + '-like' meaning 'resembling a whale', which learners can readily infer.

Etymology

Whalelike is made from whale and -like, where whale is the large sea animal and -like means 'similar to'. So something whalelike looks or moves like a whale, for example being big, smooth, or gliding through the water.