whale shark

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A very large shark (Rhincodon typus) of warm marine waters, having a spotted body, small teeth, and a network of rakelike sieves extending from its gills for straining plankton from the water.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A shark of the family Rhinodontidæ, Rhinodon typicus, one of the very largest sharks, and native of warm seas. See the technical names.
2. n. The basking-shark (which see, with cut).

Wiktionary

1. n. A very large spotted shark, Rhincodon typus, of warm marine waters, similar to a whale, that feeds by filtering plankton from the water.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. a huge harmless shark (Rhinodon typicus) of the Indian Ocean. It becomes sixty feet or more in length, but has very small teeth.
2. n. (Zoöl.) A very large harmless shark (Rhinodon typicus) native of the Indian Ocean. It sometimes becomes sixty feet long.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. large spotted shark of warm surface waters worldwide; resembles a whale and feeds chiefly on plankton