cockatiel

American  

[kok-uh-teel] / ˌkɒk əˈtil /

Or cockateel

noun

1. a small, crested, long-tailed Australian parrot, Nymphicus hollandicus, often kept as a pet.

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cockatiel British  

/ ˌkɒkəˈtiːl /

noun

1. a crested Australian parrot, Leptolophus hollandicus, having a greyish-brown and yellow plumage

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Etymology

Origin of cockatiel

1875–80; < Dutch kaketielje, < Portuguese cacatilha, equivalent to cacat ( ua ) cockatoo + -ilha < Latin -illa diminutive suffix

Compare meaning

How does cockatiel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cockatoo vs. cockatiel

Example Sentences

Wade especially loved visiting PetSmart, where he had learned that if he gently tapped his small pointer finger against the breast of a cockatiel, the bird would climb right on.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Though they live in a coop and provide plenty of eggs, I don’t think of them differently than any cockatiel or parakeet I’ve had.

From Washington Post • May 9, 2022

At the edge of the island, there’s a mysterious blue-and-white-striped building topped by a gold dome and two cockatiel statues.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2022

The organization has also been taking care of about a dozen animals, including a tortoise and a cockatiel, in its shelter who cannot live with their owners in their temporary living situations, she said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2022

I find the place with no trouble, delighted that the city and my map are in such perfect agreement, and spend an hour with one of my hosts absorbing cockatiel technology.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich