parrot

1 of 2

noun

par·​rot ˈper-ət 

ˈpa-rət

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

parrot adjective

parrot

2 of 2

verb

parroted; parroting; parrots

transitive verb

: to repeat by rote

Synonyms

Verb

• ditto
• echo
• quote
• reecho
• repeat

Examples of parrot in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Noun

And there's also a colorful parrot brooch for sale, featuring 35 round sapphires, 17 round diamonds and 17 round rubies, set with a striking cabochon ruby, which her husband also purchased for her. —Simon Perry, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025

During this time, biologists also began to appreciate bird intelligence, starting with their studies of Alex, an African gray parrot who could count and identify objects. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025

Verb

Loading your audio article Phish has had to deal with a huge number of haters and skeptics over the decades, ones who chose to go the contempt-prior-to-investigation route and just parrot all the tired hippie/granola clichés that have long dogged the jam-band genre. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025

At the same time, there was also a tendency to occasionally parrot single phrases and details, rigidly mimicking the storyteller. —Matt Richtel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably modification of Middle French perroquet

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing parrot

• parrot-fashion
• parrot fever
• parrot fish

Rhymes for parrot

• buret
• carat
• ferret
• garret
• karat
• merit
• demerit
• inherit
• preterit
• disinherit

Kids Definition

parrot

1 of 2 noun

par·​rot ˈpar-ət 

1

: any of numerous usually brightly colored tropical birds marked by a strong hooked bill, by toes arranged in pairs with two in front and two behind, and often by the ability to mimic speech

2

: a person who repeats the words of others without understanding what they mean

parrot

2 of 2 verb

: to repeat words like a parrot