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

See Examples For:

emperor penguin

Professor England warned that emperor penguin populations are facing greater extinction risks because their chicks depend on stable sea ice to mature.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2025

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

Four out of five emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica’s Bellingshausen Sea region very likely lost their chicks late last year because of disappearing sea ice underneath their breeding grounds, according to a new study.

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 Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell Evans, Baron Mountevans