penguin

noun

pen·​guin ˈpen-gwən How to pronounce penguin (audio)
ˈpeŋ-
: any of various erect short-legged flightless aquatic birds (family Spheniscidae) of the southern hemisphere

Examples of penguin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Among these were a 10-ton elephant sculpture rolling on its back laughing, commissioned for a shopping center in Detroit, and the much-beloved penguins that now grace Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2025 Come for adventure, danger, monogamous penguin love, and those super-cute chicks. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025 The continent offers travelers a wealth of extraordinary activities, from taking in towering icebergs to kayaking glacial waters to observing unique wildlife like penguins, orcas, and seals. Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2025 The disease is prominent across the globe, even spreading to the Antarctic, where it's killed significant numbers of penguins, elephant seals and fur seals. Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for penguin 

Word History

Etymology

obsolete English penguin great auk, perhaps from Welsh pen gwyn white head (applied to the bird in winter plumage)

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penguin was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near penguin

Cite this Entry

“Penguin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penguin. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

penguin

noun
pen·​guin ˈpen-gwən How to pronounce penguin (audio)
ˈpeŋ-
: any of various short-legged seabirds of the southern hemisphere that cannot fly and have wings functioning as flippers and used in swimming

More from Merriam-Webster on penguin

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