pelicano
/pe.liˈkɐ̃.nu/masculine
The English word "pelican" is pelicano in Portuguese.
The term refers to any of the various seabirds belonging to the family Pelecanidae.
Meaning: any of various seabirds of the family Pelecanidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. The IPA is /pe.liˈkɐ̃.nu/.
Did you know?
- The Greek root pelekános shared a similar sound to the word for 'axe', which some historians believe refers to the shape of the bird's beak.
- The Portuguese word pelicano is a 'learned borrowing' from Latin, meaning it was consciously adopted by scholars rather than evolving naturally through common speech.
- In Portuguese culture, the pelicano is often associated with the 'Pelican's Blood' symbol in religious art, representing the belief that the bird feeds its young with its own blood.
Examples in context
- Os peritos em vida selvagem estão a averiguar se o censo deste ano confirma observações que parecem indicar populações significativamente reduzidas das espécies de aves que fazem a travessia desde a Europa, tais como a cegonha-preta, o pelicano-branco e a garça-vermelha.Wildlife experts are looking to see if this year’s census bears out observations seeming to show significantly reduced populations of bird species that make the trip from Europe, such as the black stork, great white pelican and purple heron.This sentence shows the use of pelicano when discussing bird populations and wildlife-related observations.Tatoeba #11479274 by Cangarejo, translation #11479273 by Cangarejo
- Gostaria de saber mais sobre o pelicano, a ave marinha conhecida por seus longos bicos.I would like to know more about the pelican, the seabird known for its long beak.
- Ontem, durante a pesca, avistei um pelicano enorme na praia!Yesterday, while fishing, I spotted a huge pelican on the beach!
- Eu vi um pelicano na praia hoje.I saw a pelican at the beach today.
- O pelicano tem um bico muito grande.The pelican has a very large beak.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are walking along the coast watching wildlife.
- BeatrizOlha, Felipe! Aquele pelicano é enorme!Look, Felipe! That pelican is huge!
- FelipeSim, ele é muito impressionante.Yes, it is very impressive.
- BeatrizSerá que ele vai pescar agora?Do you think it will fish now?
- FelipeProvavelmente sim, ele está a observar o mar.Probably, it is watching the sea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pelican” translations and entries pelicano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pelicano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
