ˈpelə̇kən, -lēk- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pelican, pellican, from Old English pellican, from Late Latin pelicanus, pelecanus, from Greek pelekan; akin to Greek pelekys ax, battle-ax, probably of non-Indo-European origin; akin to the source of Sanskrit paraśu ax
1. : any of various large totipalmate birds of the genus Pelecanus with a very large bill and distensible gular pouch in which fish are caught and with very long wings — see brown pelican , california brown pelican , spectacled pelican , white pelican ; bill illustration
2. : a representation of a pelican in heraldry or art
3. : a retort or still with curved tubes leading from the head to the body for continuous condensation and redistillation
4. : a dark gray that is lighter than fashion gray, Oxford gray, or Dover gray — called also charcoal gray, dove, light gunmetal, pigeon's-neck
5. : a device that consists of a pocket attached to a long wooden handle and that is used for sampling a stream of falling grain in an elevator or on a loading ship