minke

M3I1N1K5E1
/ˈmɪŋki/

A form of minke whale — Either of two baleen whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata and Balaenoptera bonaerensis, found in coastal waters.

OriginNorwegian minkehval →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounminke (plural minkes)

plural minkes

  1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of minke whale.

    Minkes can grow to 10m and are likely to approach boats, delighting passengers with acrobatics as they hurl themselves out of the water.

    2005, Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Canada, →ISBN, page 55

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
minke whale

Origin

  1. Norwegianminkehval
  2. Englishminke

From Norwegian minkehval, allegedly after a crew member of the Norwegian whaling pioneer Svend Foyn (1809–1894), named Meincke, who mistook a pod of minkes for blue whales.

More words from Norwegian

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with minke

kinkystinkyslinkydinkyinkylinkywinkypinkiebinkyblinkyminkyblinkietwinkydrinkydinkeyshrinkyjinkybinkieclinkycrinkydrinkieIndia-inkyinky-dinkyplinky
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

minky
Cite this entry
APA

minke. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minke

MLA

“minke.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minke. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minke,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minke.

Source: minke on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.