parrot

[ par-uh t ]

/ ˈpær ət /

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.

Nearby words

parrington, parris island, parrish, parritch, parroket, parrot, parrot fever, parrot toadstool, parrot tulip, parrot's disease, parrot's-bill

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 forms

par·rot·like, adjectivepar·rot·y, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
There's the parrot, wings wrapped around himself, shivering.
Robin Williams, Hollywood’s Grand Jester, Is Dead at 63|Marlow Stern|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
It no sooner knew that Mrs. Ben Wah wanted a parrot than it hustled about to supply one at once.
The Battle with the Slum|Jacob A. Riis.
Properly a parrot; applied in England to the green wood-pecker (Gecinus viridis).
Chaucer's Works, Volume 6 (of 7) -- Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes|Geoffrey Chaucer
Olo means fort and Senga a parrot, and hence the island was called Olosenga—the fort or refuge of parrots.
Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before|George Turner
The parrot is a universal favourite and is to be found in nearly every house.
Vagaries|Axel Munthe
They divided the corn into two halves, and the Cat put her half away somewhere, and the Parrot carried his half to his nest.
The Talking Thrush|William Crooke

British Dictionary definitions for parrot

parrot

/ (ˈpærət) /

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 Forms

parrotry, 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