pelican

American  

[pel-i-kuhn] / ˈpɛl ɪ kən /

noun

1. any of several large, totipalmate, fish-eating birds of the family Pelecanidae, having a large bill with a distensible pouch.

2. a still or retort with two tubes that leave the body from the neck, curve in opposite directions, and reenter the body through the belly.

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pelican British  

/ ˈpɛlɪkən /

noun

1. any aquatic bird of the tropical and warm water family Pelecanidae, such as P. onocrotalus ( white pelican ): order Pelecaniformes. They have a long straight flattened bill, with a distensible pouch for engulfing fish

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Etymology

Origin of pelican

before 1000; Middle English pellican, Old English < Late Latin pelicānus, variant of pelecān < Greek pelekā́n

Example Sentences

He flung his huge pelican wings out to catch himself, but only succeeded in knocking down both Normans, too.

From Literature

In 2024, the graffiti artist created an animal trail around the capital with pieces featuring a goat, elephants, a gorilla, monkeys, piranhas, a rhino and pelicans among other animals.

From BBC

But there’s a payoff waiting at the point, where tides lap on a little sand beach, waves crash on dramatic black rocks and pelicans perch on sea stacks.

From Los Angeles Times

Elegant terns cried and circled in the distance, and pelicans flew from the ocean to the lagoon, so close overhead sometimes I could hear the flapping of their heavy wings.

From Los Angeles Times

A flock of brown pelicans was released back into the wild near the Huntington Beach Pier.

From Los Angeles Times