Parakeet

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpaɹəkiːt/, /paɹəˈkiːt/

Alternative forms

• parrakeet, paroquet, perokito

Origin

From Middle French perroquet, probably a diminutive form of the personal name Pierre; some variant forms perhaps via Italian parrocchetto, Spanish periquito.

Full definition of parakeet

Noun

1. A member of any of the various species of small parrots usually bred in Australia and Africa. from 16th c.
• 1603, John Florio, trans. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.8:we had loved them for our pastimes, as we do apes, monkies, or perokitoes, and not as man.
• 2009, Patrick Barkham, The Guardian, 12 Oct 2009:According to one legend, the parakeets escaped from the set of The African Queen, John Huston's 1951 film made at Shepperton studios.

Usage notes

The common parakeet kept as a pet is called the budgie or budgerigar in Commonwealth nations.