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 ( see 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

How Bruce the beakless parrot became an alpha male.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

She built an enormous parrot at the tip of her B stage, and changed into some red and blue plumage of her own.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

A parrot that attempted to take off from the main runway at Dublin Airport was reunited with its owner in 2019.

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

Doctor Dolittle’s parrot, Polynesia, tells us that in order to learn animal language we must have “powers of observation.”

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

• recite