lorikeet

noun

lor·​i·​keet ˈlȯr-ə-ˌkēt How to pronounce lorikeet (audio)
ˈlär-
: any of numerous small arboreal chiefly Australasian parrots (family Loriidae) that usually have long slender tongue papillae which form an organ resembling a brush

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Special draws include giraffe feeding, Treetop Trek Aerial Adventures, a kangaroo walkabout and the chance to feed lorikeets. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023 No more volunteering or group lunches, nothing really, beyond the backyard of their home in Geelong, outside Melbourne, where socializing was reduced to a tree filled with rainbow lorikeets. Damien Cave, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2020 Relentlessly chirpy, the noisy miner blasts the alarm before dawn alongside the screeching and flapping of rainbow lorikeets, parrots brighter than Magic Markers and that argue like toddlers. New York Times, 21 Sep. 2019 Hello, rainbow lorikeets, and welcome back to another edition of This Week in Timothée Chalamet. Cady Drell, Marie Claire, 26 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lorikeet.' 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

lory + -keet (as in parakeet)

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lorikeet was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near lorikeet

Cite this Entry

“Lorikeet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lorikeet. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

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