Pelican's foot

Pelican's foot
Pelican Pel"i*can, n. [F. p['e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) 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} (Zo["o]l.), the frigate bird. See under {Frigate}.

{Pelican fish} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), a marine gastropod shell of the genus {Aporrhais}, esp. {Aporrhais pes-pelicani} of Europe. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • pelican's-foot — ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun (plural pelican s foots) 1. : a European marine gastropod (Aporrhais pespelicani) having fingerlike processes at the edge of the shell 2. : the shell of the pelican s foot * * * pelˈican s footˈ noun 1. A marine gastropod… …   Useful english dictionary

  • pelican's-foot shell — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pelican — Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted bird of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pelican fish — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pelican flower — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pelican ibis — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pelican in her piety — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pelican (Fishing Vessel) — The SS Pelican was a party boat, or head boat, operating out of Montauk, New York, which capsized on September 1, 1951, killing 45 passengers, including the captain Eddie Carroll. Background The Pelican was originally constructed as a passenger… …   Wikipedia

  • Frigate pelican — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Aporrhais pes-pelicani — Pelican Pel i*can, n. [F. p[ e]lican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. ?, ?, ?, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind, fr. ? to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. para[,c]u.] [Written also {pelecan}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any large webfooted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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