Păr'rot, n.

n. [Contracted from Fr. perroquet, probably from Pierrot, diminutive of Pierre, Peter; Sp. perico, periquito, It. parrocchetto. Fr. pierrot is also the name of the sparrow.] (Ornith.) A scansorial bird of the genus Psittacus, of brilliant color, having a fleshy tongue, a short, hooked bill, toothed above and articulated movably to the skull. It is found in the tropical regions, particularly of the New World. The common gray parrot is P. erythacus, and is celebrated for its powers of mimicry.

☞ The name is also applied loosely to all the allied genera of scansorial birds, as cockatoos, macaws, &c.