pelican
noun
pel·i·can
ˈpe-li-kən 
: any of a genus (Pelecanus) of large web-footed fish-eating birds with a very large bill and distensible gular pouch
Examples of pelican in a Sentence
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Backers are awaiting guidance from the city of San Diego on the size of the boulders and pelicans.
—
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
As winds churn up cold water off the Southern California coast, sediment rich in nutrients is swirled up from the ocean floor and becomes feed for smaller creatures in the water who are eaten by larger ones like pelicans, whales and all kinds of fish.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
The lakes were all frozen in April 2021, cutting off the pelicans’ food supply.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025
Dawn has just broken, pods of pelicans fly overhead, and sea lions bark from the nearby harbor.
—Byrd Pinkerton, Vox, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pelican
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Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
As winds churn up cold water off the Southern California coast, sediment rich in nutrients is swirled up from the ocean floor and becomes feed for smaller creatures in the water who are eaten by larger ones like pelicans, whales and all kinds of fish.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
The lakes were all frozen in April 2021, cutting off the pelicans’ food supply.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025
Dawn has just broken, pods of pelicans fly overhead, and sea lions bark from the nearby harbor.
—Byrd Pinkerton, Vox, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pelican
Cite this Entry
“Pelican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pelican. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pelican
noun
pel·i·can
ˈpel-i-kən
: any of a genus of large web-footed birds with a very large bill having a pouch on the lower part used to scoop in fish for food
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