/par"euh keet'/ , n.
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 .
[ 1575-85; paroquet parrot, appar. orig. a dim. of P ( i ) errot, dim. of Pierre Peter, as a name for a parrot; the modern form and its earlier vars. have been influenced by It parrocchetto and Sp periquito (both ult. ]