parakeet

American  

[par-uh-keet] / ˈpær əˌkit /

Also paraquet, or parrakeet

noun

• parakeets
  plural

1. 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.

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parakeet British  

/ ˈpærəˌkiːt /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• parakeets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parakeet

1575–85; from 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 from Middle French )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parakeet parakeets

The bird - a type of parrot called a parakeet - has been seen flying around the Lochardil area of the city since February this year.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

The super breeders saving their endangered parakeet species.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

Along with the passenger pigeon we exterminated the great auk, the Carolina parakeet, the Labrador duck and the ivory-billed woodpecker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

These are thought crimes, but they are discovered through dress, accessories, and gesture: a bow, belt, hand, or parakeet on a discrete and defined bump.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025

I call, and run to the cage where my parakeet dances back and forth.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

He goes by, tells her the parakeets are like “flying candy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The surviving parrots and parakeets were sent to the Bronx Zoo, the agreement said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati discovered that monk parakeets meeting unfamiliar birds tend to "test the waters" before deciding whether a potential partner is safe to approach.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 23, 2025

This is true for a veritable zoo of nonhuman creatures, including horses, parakeets, monkeys, and lizards, who all see the illusion as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2025

The dense tropical trees along the river’s edge towered overhead, providing shade along the banks, while big-beaked toucans called out with their harsh sounds and flocks of parakeets flashed their green, blue, and red feathers.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple