penguin

noun

pen·​guin ˈpen-gwən 

ˈpeŋ-

: any of various erect short-legged flightless aquatic birds (family Spheniscidae) of the southern hemisphere

Examples of penguin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, the German naturalist and polymath has been described as the person with more species – from penguins and monkeys to an orchid – and places named after him than any other human. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026

The dry cleaning company is located at 1008 Haddon Road and has already put its penguin mascot in proper attire. —Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

From penguins at Boulders Beach to whale spotting on the coast, packing a pair of binoculars ensures you a front-row seat to the diverse wildlife of South Africa. —Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026

Inside, the Electric Mayhem band will be cranking out new tunes as the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scooter and some audio engineer penguins do their best to convince them to stop jamming to get to their increasingly restless fans across town. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

obsolete English penguin great auk, perhaps from Welsh pen gwyn white head (applied to the bird in winter plumage)

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing penguin

• Adélie penguin
• chinstrap penguin
• emperor penguin
• gentoo penguin
• king penguin
• macaroni penguin
• Magellanic penguin

Kids Definition

penguin

noun

pen·​guin ˈpen-gwən 

ˈpeŋ-

: any of various short-legged seabirds of the southern hemisphere that cannot fly and have wings functioning as flippers and used in swimming