A pelican is a large water bird with a long beak and a stretchy pouch under it, which it uses to scoop up fish. Pelicans often live near coasts, lakes, and rivers.
“Pelican” comes from Old French *pelican*, from Latin *pelecanus*, from Greek *pelekan*. The word may be linked to a root meaning “axe,” perhaps comparing the bird’s long beak to an axe blade.
The pelican’s famous throat pouch can hold more than its stomach—like a built-in fishing net. The bird became a medieval symbol of self-sacrifice because people mistakenly thought it wounded its own chest to feed its young. A real animal got turned into a myth about extreme kindness.
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