pelican

[pel-i-kuhn]

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.

pelican

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelican¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelican¹

Old English pellican, from Late Latin pelicānus, from Greek pelekān; perhaps related to Greek pelekus axe, perhaps from the shape of the bird's bill; compare Greek pelekas woodpecker

Example Sentences

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

The pelicans that took off Wednesday had made a full recovery at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Exhibits including the lions, bears, sea lions and pelicans have closed because they need major renovations.

From Los Angeles Times

And populations of once-numerous birds such as American white pelicans, double-breasted cormorants and eared grebes have declined.

From Los Angeles Times