Link Centre Dictionary

parrot

par·rot

UK/ˈpaɹət/ US/ˈpæɹət/ fairly common slang
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

usually brightly colored zygodactyl tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds

2.

a copycat who does not understand the words or acts being imitated

verb

1.

repeat mindlessly

  • “The students parroted the teacher”

Origin

First attested in 1525. From Middle French perrot, either a diminutive of Pierre or a shortened form of perroquet (whence also parakeet). Compare French pierrot and Occitan parrat. A number of origins have been suggested for perroquet, such as Spanish periquito and Italian parrocchetto. The relationship between these various words is disputed. Replaced earlier popinjay.

Phrases

  • amazon parrot
  • antbed parrot
  • antbed parrot moth
  • black-headed parrot
  • blood parrot
  • blood parrotfish
  • Bourke's parrot
  • Brehm's ground parrot

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.