any of several flightless, aquatic birds of the family Spheniscidae, of the Southern Hemisphere, having webbed feet and wings reduced to flippers.
Obsolete. great auk.
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
Reprinted by arrangement with The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society|Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This species of penguin was showered with positive coverage throughout the 20th century by a supposedly vigilant press.
Lovable ‘Madagascar’ Penguins Are Known to Rape and Torture in Real Life|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The adjudication of the Daily Beast office was clear and emphatic: penguin, penguin, penguin.
How Monty The Penguin Won Christmas: Britain’s Epic, Emotional Commercials|Tim Teeman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The boy feels rejected and confused, and then hits on a Christmas morning solution, delivering a penguin mate for his penguin.
How Monty The Penguin Won Christmas: Britain’s Epic, Emotional Commercials|Tim Teeman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why then, did the penguin suffer the loss of the use of his wings for flight?
Birds in Flight|W. P. Pycraft
The "Penguin" was to windward and bore down upon her, while Biddle hove his ship to and awaited her coming.
The Boys of 1812 and Other Naval Heroes|James Russell Soley
The 21st, the captain and master went to Penguin island, three leagues from the road.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. VIII.|Robert Kerr
I now know these friends, in my thoughts of them, as Penguin Persons.
Penguin Persons & Peppermints|Walter Prichard Eaton
The other two had had only a mug of penguin broth each in three days, and I had only broken my fast a few hours before them.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
British Dictionary definitions for penguin
penguin
/ (ˈpɛŋɡwɪn) /
noun
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 barbsSee also emperor penguin, king penguin
an obsolete name for great auk
Word Origin for penguin
C16: perhaps from Welsh pen gwyn, from pen head + gwyn white