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parrot

[par-uh t]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parrot ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of numerous hook-billed, often brilliantly colored birds of the order Psittaciformes, as the cockatoo, lory, macaw, or parakeet, having the ability to mimic speech and often kept as pets.

a person who, without thought or understanding, merely repeats the words or imitates the actions of another.

verb (used with object)

to repeat or imitate without thought or understanding.

to teach to repeat or imitate in such a fashion.

Origin of parrot

1515–25; apparently < Middle French P(i)errot, diminutive of Pierre (see parakeet), though a comparable sense of the French word is not known until the 18th century

Related formspar·rot·like, adjectivepar·rot·y, adjective

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

Related Words for parrot

recite, copycat, imitate, quote, reiterate, echo, mimic, mime, chant, copy, ape

Examples from the Web for parrot

Contemporary Examples of parrot

Oliver bares his soul as he highlights comments in which he is compared to a parrot and knocked for mocking an unremarkable soda.
Viral Video of the Day: John Oliver Reads Your YouTube Comments
Alex Chancey
September 2, 2014
Finally the guy gets fed up and throws the parrot in the freezer to punish him.
Robin Williams, Hollywood’s Grand Jester, Is Dead at 63
Marlow Stern
August 12, 2014
There's the parrot, wings wrapped around himself, shivering.
Robin Williams, Hollywood’s Grand Jester, Is Dead at 63
Marlow Stern
August 12, 2014
Rudoren is a journalist for the New York Times and has a responsibility to evaluate rather than parrot.
What's Wrong With Throwing Rocks?
Micah Stein
August 6, 2013
With four other children, two more dogs, a parrot, and a cat back on the island, I was desperate to get home.
Our Visit From Irene
India Hicks
August 27, 2011

Historical Examples of parrot

But I cal'late there was a parrot and monkey time among the help from then on.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
This feller's got what ailed the parrot—he talks too darn much.
Shavings
Joseph C. Lincoln
Polly was prattling like a parrot, but Glory was silent and almost sad.
The Christian
Hall Caine
In one of them there stood a golden cage, and in it was a Parrot.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17)
Various
She was sorry to part with her parrot, but after all it was only a bird.
Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad
Various

British Dictionary definitions for parrot

parrot

noun

any bird of the tropical and subtropical order Psittaciformes, having a short hooked bill, compact body, bright plumage, and an ability to mimic soundsRelated adjective: psittacine

a person who repeats or imitates the words or actions of another unintelligently

sick as a parrot usually facetious extremely disappointed

verb -rots, -roting or -roted

(tr) to repeat or imitate mechanically without understanding

Derived Formsparrotry, noun

Word Origin for parrot

C16: probably from French paroquet; see parakeet

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

Word Origin and History for parrot

n.

1520s, of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal Middle French perrot, from a variant of Pierre "Peter;" or perhaps a dialectal form of perroquet (see parakeet). Replaced earlier popinjay. The German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in South America in 1800 encountered a very old parrot that was the sole speaker of a dead Indian language, the original tribe having gone extinct.

v.

"repeat without understanding," 1590s, from parrot (n.). Related: Parroted; parroting.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper