penguin

American  

[peng-gwin, pen-] / ˈpɛŋ gwɪn, ˈpɛn- /

noun

Ornithology.

• penguins
  plural

1. any of several flightless, aquatic birds of the family Spheniscidae, of the Southern Hemisphere, having webbed feet and wings reduced to flippers.

2. Obsolete. great auk.

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penguin British  

/ ˈpɛŋɡwɪn /

noun

1. any flightless marine bird, such as Aptenodytes patagonica (king penguin) and Pygoscelis adeliae ( Adélie penguin ), of the order Sphenisciformes of cool southern, esp Antarctic, regions: they have wings modified as flippers, webbed feet, and feathers lacking barbs See also emperor penguin king penguin

2. an obsolete name for great auk

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• penguins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of penguin

1570–80; origin uncertain; perhaps < Welsh pen gwyn literally, white head (referring to the great auk in its winter plumage); later misapplied to the Spheniscidae

Explanation

What's black and white and loves to eat seafood? A penguin! Penguins are flightless water birds, and the only place in the Northern Hemisphere where you'll find wild penguins is on the Galápagos Islands. If you live north of the equator, your interactions with penguins are limited to zoos and aquariums. Penguins are distinctive because of their contrasting black-and-white coloring, their size, and the fact that they walk and swim but don't fly. Their wings have, in fact, evolved to act as flippers in the water. You might think of penguins as cold-weather birds, and many do live in Antarctica, but most are found in more temperate areas.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

penguin penguins

Except here, parents can bring their kids along for the festivities and check out a penguin exhibit or ride a roller coaster all in the same night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

A wildlife park is celebrating the hatching of the first king penguin chick in the UK since 2014.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

After spending $40 more, I eventually walked away with two cute plushies—a fuzzy chicken leg with a penguin face and a purple tea cup with a smiley face embroidered on its side—and my dignity intact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The birds, in turn, are accustomed to floodlights for the "penguin parade" tourist attraction, as well as being periodically handled by veterinarian scientists for monitoring of their health.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Then I start drawing a penguin for Ana for her birthday.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

It’s not clear when the trafficked animals might join the roughly 12,000 turtles, frogs, octopuses, penguins, sharks and other sea creatures currently on public display.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable in the wild due to threats such as climate change, overfishing and habitat disturbance.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

It is the world's biggest single colony of little penguins, which have a life span of about six years with habitats in southern Australia -- mostly Tasmania -- and New Zealand.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

During one ocean swim at Isabela Island, my travel companion Ofek emerged from the water to find a few tropical penguins floating beside him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

It had been decided that Mr. Popper should ride in the baggage car with the penguins to keep them from getting nervous, while Mrs. Popper and the children should ride in one of the Pullmans.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater