parrot

[ par-uht ]
See synonyms for: parrotparrotedparroting on Thesaurus.com

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.

verb (used with object)
  1. to repeat or imitate without thought or understanding.

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

Origin of parrot

1
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, adjective
  • par·rot·y, adjective

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

How to use parrot in a sentence

  • And in the meantime his paid mouthpieces parroted everywhere the words in which they had been drilled.

    Winner Take All | Larry Evans
  • Here is an old one whose sentiments have been often parroted by unthinking humans of modern times.

  • Obligingly she parroted over to Fibsy the lingo of the message.

    The Mark of Cain | Carolyn Wells

British Dictionary definitions for parrot

parrot

/ (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: Related adjective: psittacine

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

  1. sick as a parrot usually facetious extremely disappointed

verb-rots, -roting or -roted
  1. (tr) to repeat or imitate mechanically without understanding

Origin of parrot

1
C16: probably from French paroquet; see parakeet

Derived forms of parrot

  • parrotry, noun

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