parrot

American  

[par-uht] / ˈpær ət /

noun

1. 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.

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to repeat or imitate without thought or understanding.

2. to teach to repeat or imitate in such a fashion.

parrot British  

/ ˈpærət /

noun

1. any bird of the tropical and subtropical order Psittaciformes, having a short hooked bill, compact body, bright plumage, and an ability to mimic sounds

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

3. facetious extremely disappointed

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verb

1. (tr) to repeat or imitate mechanically without understanding

Other Word Forms

• parrotlike adjective
• parrotry noun
• parroty adjective

Etymology

Origin of parrot

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

Explanation

A parrot is a brightly colored tropical bird with a distinctly loud voice. If you see someone calling a colorful bird "Polly" and asking it if it wants a cracker, that's a parrot. Parrots are popular pets because many of them have the ability to mimic sounds they hear, sometimes including human speech. In fact, this skill has led to a secondary meaning of the word parrot, "mimic mindlessly." You could say, for example, "I'm not going to just parrot everything the teacher says — I'm no parrot." The origin of the word is uncertain, although we know that before parrot, this bird was called a popinjay.

Example Sentences

Lola the parrot is home after airport charm offense.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Efforts to reunite the parrot with its owner are ongoing.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Kids are entitled to a well-rounded education that teaches them to be better people, not just parrot information.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

The site contains a large collection of fossils dating back about 1 million years, including a previously unknown ancestor of the kākāpō, a large flightless parrot.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

He was a small boy of six who lived just around the corner from her, and for days he had been going on about this great talking parrot his father had given him.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

Related Words

• recite