intransitive. To give birth to a calf. Said of kine, deer, etc.; cf. calf, n.1 1 3.

intransitive. Of a whale: to throw up a spout (spout, n. 10d) in the act of respiration; to blow.

Of whales, etc.: To eject water and air from the ‘blow-holes’, before taking in fresh air; to spout.

transitive. Of a whale: to raise (its tail or flukes) straight up in diving vertically. Also intransitive.

Of a whale: To go deep under water; to dive.

intransitive. Of a whale: To use the flukes, to ‘peak the flukes’: see fluke, n.2 2.

intransitive. Of a whale: to turn around, reverse direction.

Nautical. Of whales: To leap out of the water.

intransitive. Of a whale: to splash with the tail so as to make the water white with foam.

intransitive. Of a whale: to arch the back in this way. Also with out, up. Now rare.