parrot Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun usually brightly colored zygodactyl tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds
  2. noun a copycat who does not understand the words or acts being imitated
  3. verb repeat mindlessly
    • The students parroted the teacher's words

WordNet

Par"rot noun
Etymology
Prob. fr. F. Pierrot, dim. of Pierre Peter. F. pierrot is also the name of the sparrow. Cf. Paroquet, Petrel, Petrify.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) In a general sense, any bird of the order Psittaci.
  2. (Zoöl.) 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 (P. 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.
Par"rot transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To repeat by rote, as a parrot.
Par"rot intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To chatter like a parrot.

Webster 1913