Also sperm-whale. [Short for spermaceti whale: cf. SPERM sb. II.]
1. The spermaceti whale, Physeter macrocephalus; = CACHALOT.
1839. T. Beale, Nat. Hist. Sperm Whale, 3. The sperm whale is one of the most noiseless of marine animals.
1860. Gosse, Rom. Nat. Hist., 48. In the midst of this war of the elements appear a pair of sperm-whales.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 7. The Sperm Whale … was first described by Clusius in 1605 from specimens cast up on the coast of Holland in 1598 and 1601.
b. Applied, with distinguishing epithets, to species of whales resembling, or related to, this.
1882. Cassell’s Encycl. Dict., s.v. Cachalot, The Mexican Sperm-whale (Catodon Colneti). Ibid., The South Sea Sperm-whale, found … in the Southern Ocean.
1891. Cent. Dict., s.v., Porpoise sperm-whale, a pygmy sperm-whale, or snub-nosed cachalot.
2. attrib., as sperm-whale fishery, fishing, etc.; sperm-whale porpoise (see quot. 1884).
1839. T. Beale, Nat. Hist. Sperm Whale, 136. Rise and Progress of the Sperm Whale Fishery.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 18. The Sperm Whale Porpoise…. Hyperaodon biders. Ibid. (1887), Fisheries of U.S., 69. The next important sperm-whale ground to be discovered was the Japan Ground.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 528/1. American Fisheries…. Sperm whale fishing seems to have commenced early in the 18th century.
Hence Sperm-whaler, a person or vessel engaged in the capture of sperm-whales; Sperm-whaling pres. pple. and vbl. sb.
1834. Tait’s Mag., I. 411/1. The London sperm-whalers are generally large vessels.
1840. F. D. Bennett, Narr. Whaling Voy., II. 202. Difficulties that oppose the Sperm-Whaler’s success.
1851. Lit. Gaz., 11 Jan., 30/3. The graphic accounts of sperm-whaling, by Beale and Bennett.
1863. in Pall Mall Gaz. (1895), 16 Dec., 2/1. Accidentally killed while sperm-whaling off the Brazil Banks.
1887. Goode, Fisheries of U.S., 69. Sperm-whaling at New Zealand and the offshore ground.
