Added 9 October 2026
parrot
/ˈpæɹət/ noun
In Latin: psittacus First recorded: 1525 Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about parrot at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A kind of bird, many species of which are colorful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.
I bought a wonderful parrot at the pet store.
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A parroter; a person who repeats the words or ideas of others.
What kind of a parrot are you? He just said that.
- A puffin.
verb
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To repeat (exactly what has just been said) without necessarily showing understanding, in the manner of a parrot.
The interviewee merely parroted the views of her tabloid.
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)