Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

emperor penguin

American  

noun

  1. the largest of the penguins, Aptenodytes forsteri, of the coasts of Antarctica, having bluish-gray and black plumage on the back, head, and wings, a white chest, and a patch of orange on each side of the neck.


emperor penguin British  

noun

  1. an Antarctic penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri, with orange-yellow patches on the neck: the largest penguin, reaching a height of 1.3 m (4 ft)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of emperor penguin

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Buoyed by a youthful sense of invincibility, they dared one another to leap, waiting for another to move, like emperor penguin chicks before a first arctic plunge.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 8, 2026

Sea ice is also vitally important for marine life -- scientists have observed catastrophic breeding failures of emperor penguin colonies because of low sea ice in recent years.

From Science Daily May 20, 2024

Unusually warm seas may also have taken a direct toll on one of the most beloved ocean-going creatures in the coldest continent, the emperor penguin.

From BBC May 7, 2024

Between 2018 and 2022, 30% of emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica were displaced by polar ice loss.

From Salon Aug. 25, 2023

An interesting incident on November 26 was the discovery of an emperor penguin rookery.

From South: the story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 expedition by Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com