pelican

noun

pel·​i·​can ˈpe-li-kən 

: 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

Seagulls and pelicans hovered around him in the cool, sticky air, while dolphins swam alongside the boat. —Amy Qin Callaghan O’Hare, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023

In Peru, 200,000 wild birds died from infection, including more than 40 percent of the country’s pelicans, as the Guardian’s Phoebe Weston wrote in July. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Oct. 2023

As the surf crashed against a barrier of sand, pelicans, cormorants and ospreys soared over the dark water. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023

Louisiana: Brown pelican The brown pelican is Louisiana's state bird. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023

And pelicans are not the only birds that rely on Gunnison Island to nest. —Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 June 2023

Glamping guests can fish, kayak, sign up for an oyster roast or low-country boil, stargaze, go out on a boat ride, and spot dolphins gliding in the water and pelicans diving for fish. —Brittany Anas, House Beautiful, 2 Sep. 2023

And amid a tornado of shearwaters, murres, gulls and pelicans, all working on the hapless baitfish pushed to the surface by the salmon. —Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 4 Aug. 2023

The zoo’s winged inhabitants also have come under attack, Fawzy added, as the seagulls have raided the nests of the native species of birds and ducks that nest on the zoo grounds, and disrupted feeding time for penguins and pelicans. —Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing pelican

• brown pelican
• pelican crossing

• brown pelican
• pelican crossing

Kids Definition

pelican

noun

pel·​i·​can ˈpel-i-kən 

: 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