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

Nestled in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez, Swordfish Grill is surrounded by working docks and pristine mangroves, gray pelicans and blue herons, leaping mullet, and frolicking dolphins. —Mary Lebus, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Dec. 2025

Throughout the marshes and along sandy beaches, visitors will see pelicans wading around piers with their gular pouches full of fish. —Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025

The pelicans on the water, the diving cormorants and circling ospreys, the stalking great blue herons in the shallows — all are reminders of what’s at stake for Pitt and for the West. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Some of the metals that settled in the estuary could enter the food chain in this wildlife hot spot, often populated with sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans and herons. —Ivano W. Aiello, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025

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

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