penguin

Definition

Any of several flightless sea birds, of the family Spheniscidae within the order Sphenisciformes, found in the Southern Hemisphere, marked by their usual upright stance, walking on short legs, and (generally) their stark black and white plumage.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *kʷennom Proto-Brythonic *penn Welsh pen? Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der.? Proto-Celtic *windos Proto-Brythonic *gwɨnn Welsh gwyn? Proto-Indo-European *peyh₂-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ-influ.? Latin pinguisder.? English penguin Uncertain. First attested in the 16th century in reference to the auk of the Northern hemisphere; the word was later applied to the superficially similar birds of the Southern hemisphere (as was woggin). Possibly from Welsh pen (“head”) and gwyn (“white”), or from Latin pinguis (“fat”). See citations and the Wikipedia article. Sense 3 originates from the often black-and-white habit worn by nuns, which resemble the bird's colors.

Example Sentences

• "Here are also birds cal'd Pen-gwins (white-head in Welch) like Pigmies walking upright, their finns or wings hanging very orderly downe like sleeves […]"
• "This last species of penguin, or auk, seems to be the same with the alca cirrhata of Dr. Pallis, Spicileg. Zool. Fasc. v. p. 7. tab. i. & v. fig. 1–3. F."
• "More than a hundred years ago, for example, was seen the last of the great wingless penguins or auks, which early writers quaintly called " wobble-birds.""