Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Whalebone \Whale"bone`\, n.
   A firm, elastic substance resembling horn, taken from the
   upper jaw of the right whale; baleen. It is used as a
   stiffening in stays, fans, screens, and for various other
   purposes. See {Baleen}.

   Note: Whalebone is chiefly obtained from the bowhead, or
         Greenland, whale, the Biscay whale, and the Antarctic,
         or southern, whale. It is prepared for manufacture by
         being softened by boiling, and dyed black.

Source : WordNet®

whalebone
     n : a horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used
         as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets [syn: {baleen}]