pelican

noun

pel·​i·​can ˈpe-li-kən How to pronounce pelican (audio)
: any of a genus (Pelecanus) of large web-footed fish-eating birds with a very large bill and distensible gular pouch

Examples of pelican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Three of the pelicans that were brought in with less severely fractured wings are recuperating at the hospital. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 In moments of tension—when giant pelicans are swooping to eat the souls of unborn children, or even before Mahito enters the tower and is simply trying to sleep in his new home—visions of fire invade from all sides, menacing and oppressive. Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2024 To arrive at their findings, the team studied feathers from over 340 species of flying and non-flying birds, from pelicans to penguins. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 Hisaishi’s music here is like a big beautiful bird puffing out its chest as much as any other character, apt for a film that must balance the usually strict rules of a Miyazaki universe with the intentionally flitting nature of a story about herons, canaries, and pelicans. Vulture, 24 Jan. 2024 The pelican was small, of course, two inches at most. Joy Williams, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Pink accompanied the message with a photo of her kneeling before a pelican with Jameson, whose nude bottom half was scribbled out, and daughter Willow Sage, then 7 (now 12). Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 Last year, a flock of over 60 white pelicans visited. Mark Graves | , oregonlive, 27 Aug. 2023 During summer, Horicon Marsh is probably the best place to view pelicans in Wisconsin. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pelican.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English pellican, from Late Latin pelecanus, from Greek pelekan

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pelican was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pelican

Cite this Entry

“Pelican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pelican. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pelican

noun
pel·​i·​can ˈpel-i-kən How to pronounce pelican (audio)
: any of a genus of large web-footed birds with a very large bill having a pouch on the lower part used to scoop in fish for food

More from Merriam-Webster on pelican

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