What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Whale vs Bat - What's the difference?

whale | bat |

As a noun whale

is any of several species of large sea mammals of the order cetacea.

As a verb whale

is to hunt for whales.

As an acronym bat is

best available technology; a principle applying to regulations]] on limiting pollutant [[discharge|discharges.

whale

English

(wikipedia whale) (Cetacea)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of several species of large sea mammals of the order Cetacea.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-03, volume=408, issue=8847, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Yesterday’s fuel , passage=The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania.
  • (figuratively) Something, or someone, that is very large.
  • * 1920 September, “A Reformed Free Lance” (pseudonym), “Doctoring a Sick Encyclopedia”, in The Writer , Volume XXXII, Number 9, page 131:
  • It was a whale of a job. It took two months, and the fair blush of youth off my cheeks.
  • * 1947 May 19, John Chamberlain, “Will Clayton and his Problem”, in , page 120:
  • But when it comes to his business life and business career, is not as other men; he is such a whale of a lot better that it suggests a qualitative as well as a quantitative difference.
  • (gambling) (In a casino) a person who routinely bets at the maximum limit allowable.
  • * 2003 , Jeff Wuorio, How to Buy and Sell (Just About) Everything ,
  • These are often no-limit games as maximum bets cramp a whale ’s style.
  • * 2004 , Norm Clarke, Vegas Confidential: Norm! Sin City's Ace Insider 1,000 Naked Truths, Hot Spots and Cool Stuff ,
  • A handful of the richest whales routinely play for $200,000 a hand. Australian media mogul Kerry Packer not only regularly bets that much, but has plunked down $200,000 bets for the dealer as a form of a tip.
  • * 2008', Deke Castleman, '''''Whale Hunt in the Desert ,
  • The high roller who had the most ferocious reputation for trying to run the business of the casinos where he played, before he died on December 26, 2006, was Kerry Packer. In the casino world, Packer was the Prince of Whales .

    Derived terms

    * blue whale * fin whale * have a whale of a time * humpback whale * killer whale * narwhal * pilot whale * sperm whale * whale catfish * whaler * whale fall * whalefish * whalelore * whale shark * whale watching * whaling

    See also

    (other associated terms) * baleen * cachalot * cete * orca * gam * pod * rorqual

    Verb

  • To hunt for whales.
  • To flog, to beat.
  • Anagrams

    *

    bat

    English

    (wikipedia bat)

    Etymology 1

    Dialectal variant (akin to the dialectal (etyl) term (m)) of (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) (compare (etyl) (m), (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any of the small, nocturnal, flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, which navigate by means of echolocation.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat. Like a bat' he chose the night hours for his work of rapine; like a '''bat''' he struck and vanished, pouncingly, noiselessly; like a ' bat he never showed himself to the face of the day.
  • *2012 , Suemedha Sood, (bbc.co.uk) Travelwise: Texas love bats] [sic
  • *:As well as being worth millions of dollars to the Texan agriculture industry, these mammals are worth millions of dollars to the state’s tourism industry. Texas is home to the world’s largest known bat' colony (in Comal County), and the world’s largest urban '''bat''' colony (in Austin). '''Bat''' watching is a common activity, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offering more ' bat -viewing sites than anywhere else in the US.
  • (lb) An old woman.
  • A whore who prowls in the dusk/evening like a bat.
  • Synonyms
    * (flying mammal)
    Derived terms
    * Batman * batlike * batshit * battish * batty * blind as a bat * fruit bat * have bats in the belfry * leaf-nosed bat * (little brown bat) * (brown bat) * like a bat out of hell * microbat * moonbat * vampire bat * vesper bat
    See also
    * * * (bat) * (Chiroptera)

    Etymology 2

    (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A club made of wood or aluminium used for striking the ball in sports such as baseball, softball and cricket.
  • A turn at hitting the ball with a bat in a game.
  • (two-up) The piece of wood on which the spinner places the coins and then uses for throwing them.Sidney J. Baker, The Australian Language , second edition, 1966, chapter XI section 3, page 242
  • (mining) Shale or bituminous shale.
  • (Kirwan)
  • A sheet of cotton used for filling quilts or comfortables; batting.
  • A part of a brick with one whole end.
  • Synonyms
    * (two-up) kip, stick, kylie, lannet
    Derived terms
    (derived terms) * baseball bat * batless * batman * bats * batsman * cricket bat

    Verb

    (batt)
  • to hit with a bat.
  • to take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.
  • to strike or swipe as though with a bat
  • The cat batted at the toy.
    Derived terms
    * bat five hundred * bat in * bat out * bat up * (verb)
    Hyponyms
    * Myotis

    References

    Etymology 3

    Possibly a variant of bate.

    Verb

  • to flutter: bat one's eyelashes .
  • Usage notes
    Most commonly used in phrase bat an eye, and variants thereof.
    Derived terms
    * bat an eye, bat an eyelash, bat an eyelid

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) . "batman." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 2009. Cognate to (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) packsaddle
  • Derived terms
    * batman

    References