brown pelican

noun

: a pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) of American coasts that has a brownish body and a chiefly white or white with yellow head

Examples of brown pelican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

At least three birds — two brown pelicans and a laughing gull — were killed by the oil spill, and the Coast Guard spotted at least nine other birds clearly suffering from the spill. —

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 20 May 2024 Unfortunately, brown pelicans are showing up around the Bay Area in poor condition. —

Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024 The California brown pelican was listed as an endangered species decades ago after the spread of the chemical DDT caused the shells of their eggs to thin. —

Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024 Outside of the schools, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center released 10 brown pelicans at Corona del Mar Beach. —

Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for brown pelican

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of brown pelican was in 1780

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Brown pelican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20pelican. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

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