baleen
noun [ U ] uk/bəˈliːn/ us/bəˈliːn/
（一些种类鲸鱼口中上颚延伸出来的）鲸须
tissue found as several hanging pieces in the upper part of the mouth of some types of whale, that can be used to make a strong material that bends easily
Researchers analyzed DNA from 380 whales, some of it extracted from century-old baleen. 研究人员分析了380头鲸鱼的DNA，其中一些是从百年鲸须中提取的。
The fishing line was caught in the whale's baleen - the series of plates used to filter ocean water for food. 渔线卡在了鲸须里，也就是鲸鱼用来过滤海水取食的一系列板片。
Synonym: whalebone
- More examples
- A whale's mouth contains plates of baleen through which it filters the water from the groups of small fish on which it feeds.
- When the whale feeds it takes into its mouth a great gulp of water, which it drives out again through the intervals of the horny plates of baleen.
- They then had to split the baleen, scrape it clean of all "gum," and then wash, polish, and dry it.