whalebone

 
Pronunciation: /ˈweɪlbəʊn/

noun

[mass noun]
  • an elastic horny substance which grows in a series of thin parallel plates in the upper jaw of some whales and is used by them to strain plankton from the seawater. Also called baleen.
  • strips of whalebone, formerly used as stays in corsets and dresses: [as modifier]: a whalebone bodice