white whale

White whale (Delphinapterus leucas) at an aquarium in Thailand.

Meaning

A cetacean, Delphinapterus leucas, found in the Arctic Ocean.
An obsession; monomania.
A printing plate used to manufacture a particular sports card, that is then issued as a collectible itself.
A person who routinely spends very large amounts of money on gambling, investments, or premium content for video games etc.

Figurative and additional senses derive from references to Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, in which Captain Ahab relentlessly pursues an albino sperm whale.

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