gentoo penguin

noun

gen·​too penguin ˈjen-(ˌ)tü- 

: a penguin (Pygoscelis papua) of Antarctica and nearby islands with a gray back and throat, white underparts, and white spots above the eyes

called also gentoo

Examples of gentoo penguin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Watch the video above to see the gentoo penguins picking out the perfect pebble for their mates! — Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

The colony includes macaroni, king, Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins. — Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Dec. 2025

Looking for chinstrap and gentoo penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula is another a highlight. — Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Warming waters are creating fierce competition among penguin species, with aggressive gentoo penguins displacing Adelie and chinstrap penguins from nesting areas and food sources. — Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

Conditions permitting, your adventure-seeking brood could kayak the White Continent’s frigid waters, join Zodiac excursions to see gentoo penguin colonies, and snowshoe across the icy landscape, led by HX’s wildlife and expedition guides. — Kerry Spencer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024

Rory Wilson, a professor of aquatic biology at Swansea University in the United Kingdom, told NBC News that in the wild, gentoo penguins routinely dive up to more than 160 feet deep. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 15 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Falkland Islands English, perhaps from gentoo (though allusion is obscure)

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above