parakeet

[ par-uh-keet ]

/ ˈpær əˌkit /

noun

any of numerous small, slender parrots, usually having a long, pointed, graduated tail, often kept as pets and noted for the ability to mimic speech: several species are endangered.

Nearby words

parainfluenza 4 virus, parainfluenza 5 virus, parainfluenza virus, paraison, parajournalism, parakeet, parakelia, parakeratosis, parakinesia, parakiting, parakou

Also paraquet, paroquet, parrakeet, parroket, parroquet.

Origin of parakeet

1575–85; < Middle French paroquet parrot, apparently originally a diminutive of P(i)errot, diminutive of Pierre Peter, as a name for a parrot; the modern form and its earlier variants have been influenced by Italian parrocchetto and Spanish periquito (both ultimately < MF)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for parakeet

There are a thousand ways to get the public on your side; talking about your wife like she is a parakeet isn't one of them.
Blago on the Offensive|Dan Abrams|January 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He sat Mr. Parakeet down into the most comfortable chair he could find, and then barked snappily into the telephone a few times.
The Einstein See-Saw|Miles John Breuer
The pirate's eyes were fixed on the parakeet, and his twitching fingers played with the steel-tipped whip.
Mr. Wicker's Window|Carley Dawson
Mr. Parakeet was gasping slowly and gazing round in a circle.
The Einstein See-Saw|Miles John Breuer

As a parakeet, he was chained by the tough silk cord that bound his bird's foot.
Mr. Wicker's Window|Carley Dawson
Here am I kicking you out of the command of the Parakeet, to be sure.
A Master of Fortune|Cutcliffe Hyne

British Dictionary definitions for parakeet

parakeet

parrakeet

/ (ˈpærəˌkiːt) /

noun

any of numerous small usually brightly coloured long-tailed parrots, such as Psittacula krameri (ring-necked parakeet), of Africa

Word Origin for parakeet

C16: from Spanish periquito and Old French paroquet parrot, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012