whalebone
whalebone — noun
1. A bendable, firm substance taken from the mouths of some whale species, employed
A bendable, firm substance taken from the mouths of some whale species, employed in earlier times to make clothing stiff or to build light frames for objects like umbrellas and folding fans.
The old corset in the museum was stiffened with whalebone to shape the wearer's waist.
passive: was stiffened with [material] for historical use
Aylin found a Victorian fan made of whalebone at the antique market last Saturday.
Before plastic was invented, whalebone was used to make umbrellas stiff and strong.
The museum guide showed the children how whalebone could bend without breaking.
Ritu read that whalebone strips were once used as supports in women's dresses.
- baleen
The modern biological term; 'baleen' is used in scientific contexts, while 'whalebone' is the older, more common historical name.
文法句型
whalebone + noun (modifier position)
用法筆記
Despite its name, whalebone is not actually bone — it is baleen, a material made of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and fingernails.