parrot

noun par·rot \ ˈper-ət , ˈpa-rət \

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of parrot

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

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parrot

adjective

See parrot defined for English-language learners

See parrot defined for kids

Recent Examples of parrot from the Web

The entertainment company hired by the school also brought a lemur, a parrot and a fox, according to NBC News affiliate NBC 6, which students were able to pose with for pictures.

— NBC News, "Tiger at prom? Miami school faces backlash for bringing exotic animal to dance," 14 May 2018
From gold medal winners to (supposed) talking parrots, the day had no shortage of wins and fails.

— charlotte carroll, SI.com, "Roundup of Most Interesting Ways Picks Have Announced on Last Day of NFL Draft," 28 Apr. 2018
The characters possess familiar traits but are in new roles: Archer is a one-eyed seaplane pilot, Malory is a hotel owner, Lana is a princess and Dr. Krieger is a parrot.

— andrew r. chow, New York Times, "What’s on TV Wednesday: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Archer’," 25 Apr. 2018
Zsa Zsa is a macaw parrot who's home is at the Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Hudson, Florida.

— joseph spears, Indianapolis Star, "Buccaneers to have a parrot make their fourth round pick," 23 Apr. 2018
His parrots display plumage, fashion, and intelligence, mixed with aristocratic unself-consciousness.

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "The Sense Beneath Edward Lear’s Nonsense," 17 Apr. 2018
This behavior isn't uncharacteristic of parrots and parrot relatives, however.

— mallorie sullivan, Cincinnati.com, "The last Carolina parakeet ever, lost in memory and now just lost," 22 Feb. 2018
Zsa Zsa is a Catalina Macaw from the Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary, which is known as a retirement home for parrots.

— iliana limón romero, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Parrot on pirate ship to announce Tampa Bay Bucs' fourth-round NFL draft pick," 24 Apr. 2018
Griffin opened The Limbo softly in January, complete with classic tiki cocktails in brightly colored, ceramic glasses shaped like parrots and fish.

— maggie menderski, The Courier-Journal, "Meet the Louisville bar owner putting a bourbon twist on the traditional tiki drink," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parrot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of parrot

probably modification of Middle French perroquet

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1525

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

parrot

verb

Definition of parrot

transitive verb

: to repeat by rote

See parrot defined for English-language learners

Examples of parrot in a Sentence

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 of parrot from the Web

The time Microsoft’s chatbot Tay was trained by Twitter users to parrot racist bilge.

— tad friend, The New Yorker, "How Frightened Should We Be of A.I.?," 7 May 2018
Yellowtail snapper, parrot fish, a nurse shark, and giant pink conch all thrive in the area’s coral reef.

— michaela trimble, Vogue, "Island Hopping in Cuba’s Remote Canarreos Archipelago, Home to Pristine Coral Reefs," 7 Apr. 2018
Cohn was a solid and respected adviser, but then Trump does not really want advice as much as someone who parrots his own isolationist and paranoid philosophies toward all prior trade agreements.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump's new economist: Good choice?," 23 Mar. 2018
The second Annabelle walks away, Lilette mocks the genuinely nice moment, parroting Annabelle’s words back at Simon because, ugh, Annabelle, amirite?

— ariana romero, refinery29.com, "Even On Rise, There Is No Justice For Barb," 21 Mar. 2018
At a press conference, Memphis police all but parroted what Marion had been saying for years, suggesting that, motivated by money, Sherra Wright had conspired with a man to kill her ex-husband.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Three Billboards Outside Memphis: Lorenzen Wright's Mother Seeks Justice," 27 Feb. 2018
This behavior isn't uncharacteristic of parrots and parrot relatives, however.

— mallorie sullivan, Cincinnati.com, "The last Carolina parakeet ever, lost in memory and now just lost," 22 Feb. 2018
Most of the media coverage of the deal has parroted Sidewalk’s claim to the entire Eastern Waterfront.

— molly sauter, The Atlantic, "Google’s Guinea-Pig City," 13 Feb. 2018
Eventually, elected politicians like Metcalfe and their staffers sometimes end up parroting the lines.

— rob tornoe, Philly.com, "Pa. Republican echoes conspiracy theory about school shooting survivors," 21 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of parrot

1596

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

parrot Synonyms

Synonyms

echo, quote, reecho, repeat;

Related Words

mouth;

ape, copy, copycat, emulate, imitate, mime, mimic;

PARROT Defined for English Language Learners

parrot

noun

Definition of parrot for English Language Learners

: a bright-colored tropical bird that has a curved bill and the ability to imitate speech

parrot

verb

Definition of parrot for English Language Learners

: to repeat (something, such as words, ideas, etc.) without understanding the meaning

PARROT Defined for Kids

parrot

noun par·rot \ ˈper-ət \

Definition of parrot for Students

: a brightly colored tropical bird that has a strong hooked bill and is sometimes trained to imitate human speech

Learn More about parrot

See words that rhyme with parrot Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for parrot Spanish Central: Translation of parrot Nglish: Translation of parrot for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of parrot for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parrot

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parrot

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parrot

Definition of parrot

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Recent Examples of parrot from the Web

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Synonyms

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PARROT Defined for English Language Learners

parrot

Definition of parrot for English Language Learners

parrot

Definition of parrot for English Language Learners

PARROT Defined for Kids

parrot

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