Pelican

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pelican \Pel"i*can\ (p[e^]l"[i^]*kan), n. [F. p['e]lican, L.
     pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. peleka`n, peleka^s, pele`kanos, the
     woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr.
     peleka^n to hew with an ax, fr. pe`lekys an ax, akin to Skr.
     para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.]
     1. (Zool.) Any large webfooted bird of the genus {Pelecanus},


        of which about a dozen species are known. They have an
        enormous bill, to the lower edge of which is attached a
        pouch in which captured fishes are temporarily stored.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The American white pelican ({Pelecanus
           erythrorhynchos}) and the brown species ({Pelecanus
           fuscus}) are abundant on the Florida coast in winter,
           but breed about the lakes in the Rocky Mountains and
           British America.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Old Chem.) A retort or still having a curved tube or
        tubes leading back from the head to the body for
        continuous condensation and redistillation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The principle is still employed in certain modern forms
           of distilling apparatus.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Frigate pelican} (Zool.), the frigate bird. See under
        {Frigate}.
  
     {Pelican fish} (Zool.), deep-sea fish ({Eurypharynx
        pelecanoides}) of the order {Lyomeri}, remarkable for the
        enormous development of the jaws, which support a large
        gular pouch.
  
     {Pelican flower} (Bot.), the very large and curiously shaped
        blossom of a climbing plant ({Aristolochia grandiflora})
        of the West Indies; also, the plant itself.
  
     {Pelican ibis} (Zool.), a large Asiatic wood ibis ({Tantalus
        leucocephalus}). The head and throat are destitute of
        feathers; the plumage is white, with the quills and the
        tail greenish black.
  
     {Pelican in her piety} (in heraldry and symbolical art), a
        representation of a pelican in the act of wounding her
        breast in order to nourish her young with her blood; -- a
        practice fabulously attributed to the bird, on account of
        which it was adopted as a symbol of the Redeemer, and of
        charity.
  
     {Pelican's foot} (Zool.), a marine gastropod shell of the
        genus {Aporrhais}, esp. {Aporrhais pes-pelicani} of
        Europe.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pelican
       n : large long-winged warm-water seabird having a large bill
           with a distensible pouch for fish

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Pelican, AK (city, FIPS 59650)
    Location: 57.95316 N, 136.20985 W
    Population (1990): 222 (98 housing units)
    Area: 1.4 sq km (land), 0.2 sq km (water)
  Pelican, LA
    Zip code(s): 71063

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Pelican, AK -- U.S. city in Alaska
     Population (2000):    163
     Housing Units (2000): 94
     Land area (2000):     0.581030 sq. miles (1.504861 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.123706 sq. miles (0.320396 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.704736 sq. miles (1.825257 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            59650
     Located within:       Alaska (AK), FIPS 02
     Location:             57.958431 N, 136.224069 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):    
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Pelican, AK
      Pelican