cockatiel

noun

cock·​a·​tiel ˈkäk-ə-ˌtēl How to pronounce cockatiel (audio)
: a crested small gray Australian parrot (Nymphicus hollandicus of the family Cacatuidae) with a yellow head

Examples of cockatiel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Similarly, Leslie Ann Mandel, who was married to the late novelist Arthur Herzog, created a $100,000 trust fund for her 32 cockatiels, to be shared with her dog and her cat. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2024 Leslie Ann Mandel, widow of science-fiction author Arthur Herzog III, thought of pretty much everything for her cat, dog and more than two-dozen cockatiels, each bird identified by name, in her will. Alexandra Peers, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 For about a decade, my family had a rescue cockatiel named Alfred. Monica Potts, ABC News, 8 May 2024 The male cockatiel was found to have an extensive vocabulary and an impressive repertoire of songs after being rescued near a bench in Bolton. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Jan. 2024 In January, our first pet of 2024 is a cockatiel called Koi Koi. Check out slideshows of the pets featured in 2023. Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 2 Jan. 2024 Chatty cockatiel found The RSPCA is on the hunt to find the owner of a loquacious parrot found wandering down a street, reported the BBC. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Jan. 2024 Colorful creations made by Steve’s father, from jumping horses to cockatiels with vivid yellow crests, have also taken their place on the porch. Katherine Oung, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Aug. 2023 The little cockatiel who sat quietly — too quietly, in retrospect — in a pet carrier next to me didn’t seem that sick. Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Dutch kaketielje, from Portuguese cacatilha, from cacatua cockatoo

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cockatiel was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near cockatiel

Cite this Entry

“Cockatiel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockatiel. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on cockatiel

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!