Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Parrot

Par′rot

(păr′rŭt)
,
Noun.
[Prob. fr. F.
Pierrot
, dim. of
Pierre
Peter. F.
pierrot
is also the name of the sparrow. Cf.
Paroquet
,
Petrel
,
Petrify
.]
1.
(Zool.)
In a general sense, any bird of the order
Psittaci
.
2.
(Zool.)
Any species of
Psittacus
,
Chrysotis
,
Pionus
, and other genera of the family
Psittacidæ
, as distinguished from the parrakeets, macaws, and lories. They have a short rounded or even tail, and often a naked space on the cheeks. The gray parrot, or jako (
Psittacus erithacus
) of Africa (see
Jako
), and the species of Amazon, or green, parrots (
Chrysotis
) of America, are examples. Many species, as cage birds, readily learn to imitate sounds, and to repeat words and phrases.
Carolina parrot
(Zool.)
,
the Carolina parrakeet. See
Parrakeet
.
Night parrot
, or
Owl parrot
.
(Zool.)
See
Kakapo
.
Parrot coal
,
cannel coal; – so called from the crackling and chattering sound it makes in burning.
[Eng. & Scot.]
Parrot green
.
(Chem.)
See
Scheele’s green
, under
Green
,
Noun.
Parrot weed
(Bot.)
,
a suffrutescent plant (
Bocconia frutescens
) of the Poppy family, native of the warmer parts of America. It has very large, sinuate, pinnatifid leaves, and small, panicled, apetalous flowers.
Parrot wrasse
,
Parrot fish
(Zool.)
,
any fish of the genus
Scarus
. One species (
Scarus Cretensis
), found in the Mediterranean, is esteemed by epicures, and was highly prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Par′rot

,
Verb.
T.
To repeat by rote, without understanding, as a parrot.

Par′rot

,
Verb.
I.
To chatter like a parrot.

Webster 1828 Edition


Parrot

PAR'ROT

, n.
1.
The name of fowls of the genus Psittacus, of numerous species. The bill is hooked and the upper mandible movable. The hooked bill of the parrot is used in climbing. These fowls are found almost every where in tropical climates. They breed in hollow trees and subsist on fruits and seeds. They are also remarkable for the faculty of making indistinct articulations of words in imitation of the human voice.
2.
A fish found among the Bahama isles, esteemed to be delicate food and remarkable for the richness of its colors.

Definition 2024


Parrot

Parrot

See also: parrot

English

Proper noun

Parrot

  1. A surname.

parrot

parrot

See also: Parrot

English

A parrot.

Noun

parrot (plural parrots)

  1. A kind of bird, many species of which are colourful 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.
    • 1857, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, book 1, chapter 33
      Mrs Merdle was at home, and was in her nest of crimson and gold, with the parrot on a neighbouring stem watching her with his head on one side, as if he took her for another splendid parrot of a larger species.
  2. A parroter; a person who repeats what was just said.
    What kind of a parrot are you? He just said that.
    • 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson, The American Scholar,
      In this distribution of functions, the scholar is the delegated intellect. In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men’s thinking.
  3. (archaic) A puffin.
  4. (geology, obsolete) Channel coal.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:parrot.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Verb

parrot (third-person singular simple present parrots, present participle parroting, simple past and past participle parroted or parrotted)

  1. (transitive) To repeat (exactly what has just been said) without necessarily showing understanding, in the manner of a parrot.
    • 1996, Bill Clinton, Presidential Radio Address (15 June)
      So when political leaders parrot the tobacco company line, say cigarettes are not necessarily addictive, and oppose our efforts to keep tobacco away from our children, they continue to cater to powerful interests, but they're not standing up for parents and children.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:parrot.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams