What does "pelican" mean?
Any of various seabirds of the family Pelecanidae, having a long bill with a distendable pouch.
Pelican
name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of various seabirds of the family Pelecanidae, having a long bill with a distendable pouch.
- Grammar: pelican is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: color, fish-eating bird, magpie, pigment.
- Usage evidence: A pelican can fit a lot of fish in its beak.
How to use "pelican"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pelican" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pelican" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pelican" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pelican" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pelican" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "color" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pelican", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various seabirds of the family Pelecanidae, having a long bill with a distendable pouch.
"The old have outlived that mental world we so misname in calling it a world of enjoyment;—they have outlived the feverish dreams which waste those keen hopes—the pelicans of the heart, feeding on the life-blood of their parent;—they have now no part in the excitement of success, whether in its desire or disappointment."
- 2 large long-winged warm-water seabird having a large bill with a distensible pouch for fish wordnet
- 3 A native or resident of the American state of Louisiana.
- 4 A retort or still having a curved tube or tubes leading back from the head to the body for continuous condensation and redistillation. obsolete
- 5 A set of forceps used to force overcrowded teeth apart.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A waterbomber. Canada, slang
- 7 An ageing prostitute. slang
Proper Noun
- 1 A place in Australia:; A suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales.
- 2 A place in Australia:; A rural locality in Western Downs Region, Queensland.
- 3 A place in the United States:; A minor city on Chichagof Island, Alaska.
- 4 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana.
- 5 A place in the United States:; A township in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, named after Pelican Lake (Crow Wing County, Minnesota).
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A place in the United States:; A township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, named after the Pelican River (Otter Tail River tributary).
- 7 A place in the United States:; A town in Oneida County, Wisconsin, named after Pelican Lake (Oneida County, Wisconsin).
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A pelican can fit a lot of fish in its beak."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pelican"?
Common synonyms include: color, fish-eating bird, magpie, pigment, sea bird, waterbird.
How do you use "pelican" in a sentence?
A pelican can fit a lot of fish in its beak.
Etymology
From Middle English pellican, pellicane, from Old English pellican (“pelican”), from Latin pelecānus, from Ancient Greek πελεκάν (pelekán), πέλεκυς (pélekus, “hatchet”).