parrot

1 of 2

noun

par·​rot ˈper-ət How to pronounce parrot (audio)
ˈpa-rət
1
: any of numerous widely distributed tropical birds (order Psittaciformes and especially family Psittacidae) that are often crested and brightly colored, have a distinctive stout hooked bill and zygodactyl feet, and include some excellent mimics
2
: a person who sedulously echoes another's words
parrot adjective

parrot

2 of 2

verb

parroted; parroting; parrots

transitive verb

: to repeat by rote

Examples of parrot in a Sentence

Verb Some of the students were just parroting what the teacher said. the toddler parroted everything her father said, often to the latter's embarrassment
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the meantime, the Moore Lab Project aspires to become a hub for urban parrot ecology. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Guests enjoy complimentary breakfast, wine and cheese socials daily, access to beach chairs and umbrellas, and conversations with resident parrots Tango and Tangee. Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 As the film depicts, Bittner was seeking meaning in his life, and the parrots were happy to oblige. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024 Indigenous cultures exported parrots and monkeys and the notion of cherished household pets to Europe. Marcy Norton, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Of course, visitors stand around the enclosure swearing, trying to get the parrots to copy them. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024 Mounting anecdotal evidence from countries like Mexico, where veterinarians can legally administer the plant or its compounds, suggests benefits across a variety of other conditions in species as varied as parrots, turtles and hyenas. Rachel Nuwer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Talking—and swearing—isn’t the only skill parrots can absorb. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 After five of the resident African greys at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park were removed from public display in 2020 for swearing at visitors, naughty words have since popped up in the repertoire of three more parrots. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 23 Jan. 2024
Verb
The problem is that Vena’s version of events — parroted on right-wing podcasts and at courthouse protests — is incomplete, and the case is far more complicated than the online narrative. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Nasrallah said Tuesday that diplomats visiting Lebanon are clearly prioritizing the security of Israel and parroting its demands. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 The Daily Show is supposed to cut through the media’s dishonesty, not parrot it. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024 The theory that the Super Bowl game was rigged in the Chiefs' favor was parroted among some conservative circles, where it was suggested that a win would give Swift an opportunity to endorse Mr. Biden in the presidential election. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Feb. 2024 Some of them enthusiastically parroted several of the mayor’s call-and-response chants from the stage. Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024 Soon, millions of Americans were parroting the narrative, and not only from the remove of the Internet. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2023 The probe can resolve whether a network is merely parroting its training data or recognizing the patterns within it. Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023 The ramp-up of the Biden campaign’s efforts comes as Trump has been parroting his unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen and using increasingly incendiary rhetoric. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parrot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably modification of Middle French perroquet

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parrot was circa 1525

Dictionary Entries Near parrot

Cite this Entry

“Parrot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parrot. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

parrot

1 of 2 noun
par·​rot ˈpar-ət How to pronounce parrot (audio)
1
: any of numerous usually brightly colored tropical birds marked by a strong hooked bill, by toes arranged in pairs with two in front and two behind, and often by the ability to mimic speech
2
: a person who repeats the words of others without understanding what they mean

parrot

2 of 2 verb
: to repeat words like a parrot

More from Merriam-Webster on parrot

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