penguin Meaning & Definition
What Does Penguin Mean?
Penguin is a noun that means 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. It is also used to mean An auk (sometimes especially a great auk), a bird of the Northern Hemisphere.
Penguin in Brief
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɛŋ.ɡwɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Plural | penguins |
Penguin Definition (Noun)
- 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.
- An auk (sometimes especially a great auk), a bird of the Northern Hemisphere.
- A nun.
- A type of catch where the palm of the hand is facing towards the leg with the arm stretched downward, resembling the flipper of a penguin.
- A member of the air force who does not fly aircraft.
Noun
- Any of several flightless sea birds, of 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.
- A nun (association through appearance, because of the black and white habit).
- A spiny bromeliad with egg-shaped fleshy fruit, Bromelia pinguin.
Synonyms of Penguin
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Penguin synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
penguin (plural penguins)
Origin of Penguin
Origin 1: Uncertain.[1] 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.
Origin 2: Sense 3 originates from the often black-and-white habit worn by nuns, which resemble the bird's colors.
Pronouncing Penguin
The standard pronunciation of penguin is /ˈpɛŋ.ɡwɪn/, spoken in 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (pɛŋ).