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

From an aerial photograph of Adélie penguins taken by Thomas Sayre-McCord during a research expedition to the Danger Islands in Antarctica and published by the NASA Earth Observatory in July. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

One day, there was menacing rhetoric on Truth Social; the next, memes on X of penguins. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026

And on South Georgia, hundreds of thousands of penguins gather on beaches once scarred by whaling. — Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026

The island also has Humboldt penguins, giant rhubarb plants with leaves as large as umbrellas, and the world’s smallest species of deer. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 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