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Definition of pelican
: any of a genus (Pelecanus) of large web-footed fish-eating birds with a very large bill and distensible gular pouch
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Recent Examples of pelican from the Web
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Though designated in 1958 as a bird sanctuary, Egret Island in Lake Butler attracts more partiers than pelicans on summer weekends and holidays.
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Sharpe reached out to the Environmental Studies Center, which over the weekend took in eight of the baby pelicans.
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In 2004, nearly 30,000 pelicans departed the Chase Lake refuge, leaving their chicks and eggs behind.
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Mute swans, white pelicans, osprey and bald eagles have been seen at different times among these birds that prefer to nest in colonies, but one time, Connie Witkowski said, there was a successful owl nest oddly among the others.
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Snowy egrets and great blue herons stand to feed, and the morning quiet is broken only by the plop of brown pelicans diving down to grab fish.
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Anglers are reporting good fishing for pan fish throughout the reservoir, but weeds are starting to become an issue along with reports of the pelicans making fishing difficult in some areas.
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Parker said the group's volunteers rescued 17 pelicans from January through March.
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VENTURA, Calif. -- A local rescue group has found dozens of sick and dying pelicans along the Ventura and Santa Barbara coasts.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pelican'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of pelican
Middle English, from Old English pellican, from Late Latin pelecanus, from Greek pelekan
PELICAN Defined for English Language Learners
pelican
playDefinition of pelican for English Language Learners
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: a large ocean bird that has a large bag that is part of its lower bill for catching and holding fish
PELICAN Defined for Kids
pelican
playDefinition of pelican for Students
: a large bird with webbed feet and a very large bill having a pouch on the lower part used to scoop in fish for food
Learn More about pelican
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Spanish Central: Translation of pelican Nglish: Translation of pelican for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pelican for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pelican
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