penguin
n. countablen. a large, black and white bird that lives in cold areas near the sea. They cannot fly, but they are very good at swimming.
n. a flightless, aquatic bird of the family Spheniscidae, native to the Southern Hemisphere. Characterised by wings evolved into flippers and a countershaded plumage of black and white.
The penguin swims quickly through the cold water.
During the winter, the male penguin keeps the egg warm on its feet while the female hunts for fish.
While most species are associated with Antarctic ice, several varieties of penguin inhabit more temperate climates, including the Galápagos Islands near the equator.
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.