penguin

American  

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

noun

Ornithology.

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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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

Example Sentences

“My kid comes home and she doesn’t tell me about her teacher, she doesn’t tell me about her classmates. She tells me about JiJi the penguin from her gamified learning app.”

From Los Angeles Times

Scientists believe Pennaraptora evolved feathers for flight, but environmental changes may have led some species to lose that ability over time, similar to flightless birds today such as ostriches and penguins.

From Science Daily

Below, Herzog talks about his own spirit animal, the necessities he brings into the field and the penguin from one of his movies that recently turned into a meme.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort in the Mall of the Emirates, offers an “ultimate penguin experience” where guests can feed its resident flightless birds, despite summertime temperatures outside that sometimes surpass 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

From The Wall Street Journal

"That can have quite severe ramifications on the marine ecosystem that the penguins and other coastal birds rely on."

From BBC