1. to strip blubber or skin from a whale or seal
Usage: nautical; whaling industry term

Examples

• The whalers flenses the whale to extract valuable blubber.
• Historically, crews would flense seals for their fur and oil.
• The process of flensing required sharp tools and skilled workers.
• Once the whale was brought aboard, the crew began to flense it.
• Modern regulations have largely eliminated the practice of flensing whales.