Meaning & use
penguin
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A black-and-white seabird that cannot fly but swims very well and stands upright on land.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a penguin' for one and 'penguins' for more than one.
Patterns
- a penguin
- penguins
- a colony of penguins
We saw a penguin waddle across the ice and dive into the sea.
Penguins huddle together to keep warm in the freezing wind.
The zoo has a new penguin pool where visitors can watch them swim.
Word forms
| plural | penguins |
|---|
Common combinations
- a colony of penguins
- A colony of penguins covered the rocky beach.
- emperor penguin
- The emperor penguin is the tallest kind of penguin.
- penguin chick
- The penguin chick stayed close to its parents.
- penguin suit
- He wore a penguin suit to the formal dinner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seabird
- A general word for any bird that lives near the sea; a penguin is one specific kind of seabird.
Commonly confused: penguin or puffin?
penguin vs puffin
A puffin is a different black-and-white seabird that can fly; penguins cannot fly.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'penguin' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Swam quickly through the water' matches the fact that penguins are excellent swimmers. The other options describe abilities penguins do not have: they cannot fly, they walk on two legs, and they do not nest in trees.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “penguin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.