whaleback

/weɪlbæk/
noun
  1. A type of cargo ship with a rounded, whale-like upper deck, used mainly on the Great Lakes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
    • Captain Alexander McDougall invented the whaleback to improve stability on stormy lakes.
    • The whaleback was designed to ride low in the water and carry heavy loads of iron ore.
    • Museum visitors can tour a restored whaleback docked in Superior, Wisconsin.
  2. A rounded hill or ridge that looks like the back of a whale.
    • Farmers planted crops on the gentle slopes of the whaleback.
    • From the trail, we could see a whaleback of granite rising above the forest.
    • The ancient glacier left behind a whaleback shape in the landscape.
What does "whaleback" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean