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humpback

[ huhmp-bak ]

noun

  1. a back that is humped in a convex position.


humpback

/ ˈʌˌæ /

noun

  1. another word for hunchback
  2. Also calledhumpback whale a large whalebone whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, closely related and similar to the rorquals but with a humped back and long flippers: family Balaenopteridae
  3. a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, the male of which has a humped back and hooked jaws
  4. Also calledhumpback bridge a road bridge having a sharp incline and decline and usually a narrow roadway
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܳˌ, adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of humpback1

First recorded in 1690–1700; apparently back formation from humpbacked
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Word History and Origins

Origin of humpback1

C17: alteration of earlier crumpbacked, perhaps influenced by hunchback ; perhaps related to Dutch homp lump
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In the coming weeks, rescuers are waiting to see if a group of humpback whales feeding in an algae bloom hotspot near the Channel Islands will become sick and come to shore.

From

Domoic acid has been found in blue and humpback whales, as well as Guadalupe fur seals, which is a threatened species.

From

Ms MacLennan said an incident in January when a humpback got into difficulty at a Skye fish farm was particularly unusual.

From

In February, two fisherman rescued a humpback whale found entangled in creel fishing gear off the coast of Skye.

From

Adrián had started to think how he might survive inside the humpback whale "like Pinocchio" - then the creature spat him back out.

From

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humphumpbacked