from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Penguin \Pen"guin\ (p[e^]n"gw[i^]n), n. [Perh. orig. the name of
another bird, and fr. W. pen head + gwyn white; or perh. from
a native South American name.]
1. (Zool.) Any bird of the order {Impennes}, or {Ptilopteri}.
They are covered with short, thick feathers, almost
scalelike on the wings, which are without true quills.
They are unable to fly, but use their wings to aid in
diving, in which they are very expert. See {King penguin},
under {Jackass}.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Penguins are found in the south temperate and antarctic
regions. The king penguins ({Aptenodytes Patachonica},
and {Aptenodytes longirostris}) are the largest; the
jackass penguins ({Spheniscus}) and the rock hoppers
({Catarractes}) congregate in large numbers at their
breeding grounds.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) The egg-shaped fleshy fruit of a West Indian plant
({Bromelia Pinguin}) of the Pineapple family; also, the
plant itself, which has rigid, pointed, and spiny-toothed
leaves, and is used for hedges. [Written also {pinguin}.]
[1913 Webster]
{Arctic penguin} (Zool.), the great auk. See {Auk}.
[1913 Webster]