parrot

parrot — noun

IPA/ˈpærət/
KK[pˈɛrət]IPA/ˈpærət/
  • parrotsingular
  • parrotsplural

1. a brightly coloured bird from warm parts of the world that has a strong hooked b

1.nounB1
Definition

a brightly coloured bird from warm parts of the world that has a strong hooked beak and can be taught to imitate human speech, sometimes kept in cages as a pet.

Example

Maya's grandmother keeps a green parrot named Coco in the living room.

common pattern: keep a [colour] parrot

The parrot at the zoo shouted "Hello!" every time a child walked past its cage.

parrot as subject of speech verbs (shout, say, call)

Common collocations
  • pet parrot
  • talking parrot
  • African grey parrot
  • keep a parrot
  • parrot cage
Synonyms
  • macaw

    a large, long-tailed parrot from Central and South America

  • cockatoo

    a parrot with a feather crest on its head, mostly from Australasia

  • budgie

    a small Australian parrot often kept as a pet (informal for budgerigar)

Grammar Patterns

a parrot

the parrot

Usage Note

Often appears with colour adjectives (green, grey, red and yellow) or origin (African, Amazon). Distinct from sense 2 by being a literal animal — sense 2 is metaphorical and always refers to a person.

Common Mistakes

My parrot can speak Chinese fluently.
My parrot can copy a few Chinese words.
parrots imitate sounds; they don't truly speak a language.

2. a person — usually one being criticised — who repeats other people's words or op

2.nounC1
Definition

a person — usually one being criticised — who repeats other people's words or opinions exactly, without thinking about what those words actually mean.

Example

Marcus called his younger brother a parrot for repeating every joke their dad made.

call someone a parrot — typical critical use

Don't be a parrot, Lina — give me your own answer about the book.

imperative: don't be a parrot

Common collocations
  • be a parrot
  • like a parrot
  • nothing but a parrot
Synonyms
  • copycat

    anyone who copies another's actions or words; less harsh, often used by or about children

  • yes-man

    someone who always agrees with a boss or leader; focused on agreement, not exact repetition

  • mouthpiece

    a person who publicly states the views of another, often in politics or media

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a parrot

like a parrot

Usage Note

Almost always carries a negative tone — the speaker thinks the person is unable or unwilling to think for themselves. Distinguish from sense 1 (a real bird) by context: a person noun nearby (brother, student, politician) signals this sense.

Common Mistakes

My teacher is a wise parrot who quotes Shakespeare.
My teacher often quotes Shakespeare wisely.
calling someone a parrot is an insult, not praise.
Idioms

(as) sick as a parrot

idiom

Feeling extremely unhappy about something that did not happen as hoped.

Maya was sick as a parrot when her team lost the final match.

Are you sick as a parrot about failing the driving test?

parrot — verb

IPA/ˈpær.ət/
KK[pˈɛrət]IPA/ˈper.ət/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs cover saying back what someone else has said, but the tone differs sharply. 'Repeat' is the neutral baseline — it makes no claim about understanding. 'Echo' is mostly approving or descriptive: a senator may echo the president's call for unity. 'Mimic' focuses on the manner of speech or behaviour — voice, accent, gestures — and is often playful: a comedian mimics a celebrity. 'Parrot' and 'regurgitate' are the strongly negative pair, accusing the speaker of having no original thought. 'Parrot' targets borrowed opinions or slogans ('he just parrots his boss's views'), while 'regurgitate' is common in academic settings, where students are warned not to regurgitate the lecture in their essays.

parrot ↗echo ↗mimic ↗repeat ↗regurgitate

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pet parrot
  • talking parrot
  • parrot cage
  • parrot fashion

Adverbs

Phrases

  • like a parrot
  • as a parrot
  • nothing but a parrot

Prepositions

  • a parrot for someone
  • parrot something to someone

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

First recorded in English in the early 1500s as a name for the colourful tropical bird, probably borrowed from a French nickname Pierrot — a pet form of the male name Pierre — applied to the bird the way 'robin' or 'jenny' became names for other birds. Because parrots were famous for copying human speech, by the late 1500s the word was already being used for a person who repeated others' words, and from there it became a verb meaning to repeat without thinking.