1.
spouting (of a whale); the spray of water and air a whale releases from its blowhole
The act of a whale or dolphin expelling a spray of water vapor and air from its blowhole at the surface. The visible spout is a well-known characteristic of whale-watching and is sometimes used by observers to identify different whale species by its shape.
クジラの潮吹き。
A whale's spout.
遠くにクジラの潮吹きが見えた。
I could see a whale spouting in the distance.
ホエールウォッチングで大きな潮吹きを見ることができた。
We were able to see a big whale spout on the whale-watching tour.
クジラの種類によって潮吹きの形が違うので、経験豊かなガイドは遠くからでも種類を見分けられる。
Since the shape of the spout differs by whale species, experienced guides can identify the species even from a distance.
Composed of 潮 (tide, seawater) and 吹く (to blow, to spout), combined as a noun-forming compound.
USAGE:
The term describes the spray itself as well as the act of spouting. It is the standard word used in nature documentaries, whale-watching tour announcements, and marine-biology contexts. The same spelling can also refer to a small edible bivalve called 潮吹貝 (trough shell), but the whale meaning is the primary one in everyday Japanese.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 潮吹きが見える: the spout is visible
- 大きな潮吹き: a big spout
- クジラの潮吹き: a whale's spout
RELATED TERMS:
- 噴気孔: blowhole — the opening on top of a whale's head from which the spout is released
- 鯨/クジラ: whale — normally written in katakana in modern casual Japanese
- ホエールウォッチング: whale watching — the recreational activity in which you go out to observe whales and their spouts