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

Example Sentences

At that time, he attempted to cross with a parrot in a towel under his arm, according to court documents.

From Los Angeles Times

“Very avant-garde. Like a large parrot. More of a statement piece now.”

From Literature

So she rarely leaves the house — a cramped and densely cluttered property that the family shares with 15 parrots.

From BBC

It is surrounded by colorful animals who are repairing the robot as it holds a red, yellow and blue parrot in its outstretched hand.

From Los Angeles Times

This doesn’t prove they are conscious, but it shows these self-reports track the model’s truth-telling mechanisms, not random outputs the model learned to parrot.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• recite