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.

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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)

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Etymology

Origin of emperor penguin

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

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

"The emperor penguin is a threatened species because of climate change, and the sea-ice and the ocean temperatures are strongly implicated in that."

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

The continent is just beginning to emerge from its long polar night, when emperor penguin colonies aren’t visible in the darkness to satellites.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2023

We came across our first emperor penguin, a young one, and two sea-leopards, besides crab-eater seals, many penguins, some giant petrels, and a Wilson petrel.

From South with Scott by Mountevans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell Evans, baron