white whale

English

White whale (Delphinapterus leucas) at an aquarium in Thailand.

Etymology

Figurative and additional senses derive from references to Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, in which Captain Ahab relentlessly pursues an albino sperm whale.

Noun

white whale (plural white whales)

1. A cetacean, Delphinapterus leucas, found in the Arctic Ocean.
   • 2007, Nancy Lord, Beluga Days: Tracking the Endangered White Whale, Prologue, pages 22-23.

     The English called the beluga the "white whale", a name often still used (and not to be confused with the white whale of Moby-Dick, which was an albino sperm whale).

2. (figuratively) An obsession; monomania.
   • 2008, Glen Inglis, Broken Heroes, page 228

     "No. . . no sapphires. It looks like Lester Velasquez was chasing his white whale. There never were any sapphires inside that diner."

   • 2010, Tom Grimes, Mentor: A Memoir, chapter 3, page 21

     Baseball would be my great white whale.

3. (collectible card games) A printing plate used to manufacture a particular sports card, that is then issued as a collectible itself.
4. (informal) A person who routinely spends very large amounts of money on gambling, investments, or premium content for video games etc.

Synonyms

• (whale): beluga, beluga whale, sea canary

Translations

a cetacean, Delphinapterus leucas — see beluga

See also

• Beluga whale on Wikipedia.Wikipedia