parrot

[ par-uht ]

/ ˈpær ət /

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See synonyms for: parrot / parroted / parroting 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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM parrot

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

Words nearby parrot

parricide, Parrington, Parrish, Parris Island, parritch, parrot, parrot-fashion, parrot fever, parrotfish, parrot's-bill, parrot's-feather

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use parrot in a sentence

Of course, we might find it easier to work with parrots or dogs, but whales, by their sheer size, their commanding voices, and surprising grace elicit a kind of attention that smaller lifeforms can’t.
No Species Is an Island - Issue 105: Whale Songs|Roger Payne|September 8, 2021|Nautilus
In South America, palm swifts snatch feathers from flying pigeons and parrots — a behavior already known as kleptoptily.
Scientists have a new word for birds stealing animal hair|Jaime Chambers|August 12, 2021|Science News
Pelicans, woodpeckers, and parrots have very different diets that require a beak adapted to the job.
Cretaceous birds were thought to have small bills—except this one|Scott K. Johnson|November 29, 2020|Ars Technica
Look at most of the smartest animals on the planet, like monkeys, elephants, parrots, and hyenas, and you’ll see that they live in complex, rather than simple, social systems.
The Dark Side of Smart - Facts So Romantic|Diana Fleischman|September 15, 2020|Nautilus

So if a parrot is able to tell us the color of different objects, that does not necessarily show that the parrot understands the meanings of those words.
Animals That Can Do Math Understand More Language Than We Think|Erik Nelson|June 14, 2020|Singularity Hub
As he describes why he plans to spend the rest of his days in Kisangani, a pet parrot gnaws on his Rolex.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
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
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
Everyone inside the cavernous O2 arena in East London knew exactly what his complaint would be: This was a Dead Parrot.
Monty Python Forgot Their Lines on Opening Night, but Who Cares?|Nico Hines|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He stooped to knot up his long, wet hair, and the parrot fluttered to his shoulder.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
Hephzibah seldom spoke; perhaps, like the parrot in the story, she thought the more.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
All the parrot tribe in Brazil is beautiful: but neither parrots nor parroquets talk well.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
He has been teasing my parrot in its cage, and has plucked so many of its feathers that it now looks like a beaked rat.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
One large gray parrot had learned her name, and would call out, "Good-morning, Susan!"
The Nursery, December 1881, Vol. XXX|Various

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 of parrot

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

parrot

Origin of parrot

OTHER WORDS FROM parrot

Words nearby parrot

Words related to parrot

How to use parrot in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for parrot

Derived forms of parrot

Word Origin for parrot