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

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

From Salon

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

It was “Yo ho ho!” after every sip of soup, accompanied by his squawky parrot noises.

From Literature

That led to Feldberg discovering other areas of interest such as fitness and more specifically, pet parrots.

From BBC

Andy Akiho’s clever music mechanically parrots the repetitions in the text and grows increasingly frantic as the students’ frustration and discomfort escalate—they hate her and they want her to notice them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• recite