parakeet

[ par-uh-keet ]
/ ˈpær əˌkit /

noun

any of numerous small, slender parrots, usually having a long, pointed, graduated tail, often kept as pets and noted for the ability to mimic speech: several species are endangered.
Also paraquet, paroquet, parrakeet, parroket, parroquet.

Origin of parakeet

1575–85; < Middle French paroquet parrot, apparently originally a diminutive of P(i)errot, diminutive of Pierre Peter, as a name for a parrot; the modern form and its earlier variants have been influenced by Italian parrocchetto and Spanish periquito (both ultimately < MF)

Words nearby parakeet

parainfluenza 4 virus, parainfluenza 5 virus, parainfluenza virus, paraison, parajournalism, parakeet, parakelia, parakeratosis, parakinesia, parakiting, parakou

Example sentences from the Web for parakeet

British Dictionary definitions for parakeet

parakeet

parrakeet

/ (ˈpærəˌkiːt) /

noun

any of numerous small usually brightly coloured long-tailed parrots, such as Psittacula krameri (ring-necked parakeet), of Africa

Word Origin for parakeet

C16: from Spanish periquito and Old French paroquet parrot, of uncertain origin