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Glite Dictionary
poll parrot

poll parrot

1 8.9
A tame bird often kept as a pet that can copy human speech
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : loro
  • Every morning, I feed my poll parrot seeds and fresh fruit.
  • poll parrot say
  • see the poll parrot

Examples

  • "Aunt Amanda," I said, not being able to wait, "does Mrs. Smith have a poll parrot?"

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "I want to see the poll parrot!" I told her.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "Now can I see the poll parrot?"

    Fiction book (1993)

  • So the guy goes over to the poll parrot and said, "Hello."

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "Can we see the poll parrot first?"

    Fiction book (1993)

  • And the poll parrot was sitting down in the back.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Poll parrot didn't say anything.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "It went on like this, me lying and him believing every word of it until he said, "Did you see Mrs. Smith's poll parrot?"

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "So come time for the sermon, and the poll parrot leaned over and said,

    Fiction book (1993)

  • My friend has a beautiful poll parrot that can mimic words and phrases.

Synonyms

pet
vspoll parrot
754 1.0

An animal kept at home for company and enjoyment

is specifically a tamed tropical bird kept for companionship rather than any animal
parrot
vspoll parrot
79 1.0

A brightly colored tropical bird with a short hooked beak that can copy human speech

is the domesticated, tamed form kept as a companion rather than the wild species
lovebird
vspoll parrot
46 2.1

A small bright parrot people keep as a pet that forms strong bonds with its mate

is a tamed tropical bird not defined only by small size or affection
parakeet
vspoll parrot
26 1.8

A small thin bird with a long tail often kept as a pet

is a tamed tropical bird not limited to small slender species
fine-feathered friend
vspoll parrot
  • Informal
1 6.5

A pet bird often kept and loved like a parrot

is a tamed tropical bird kept as a domestic companion rather than any pet bird
pet keet
vspoll parrot
5.8

A small bird like a parakeet that people keep as a pet

is a tamed tropical bird not restricted to only small companion types
ringneck
vspoll parrot
6.5

A green parrot kept as a pet with a colored ring around its neck

is the general tamed tropical bird group rather than one named species

Surface Forms

poll parrot singular
poll parrots plural

Morphology

poll + parrot

The sense 'a tame or domesticated parrot' is not predictably derived from 'poll' (head) + 'parrot' — the modifier 'poll' does not convey domestication or tameness. Additionally, 'poll' in the sense 'top of the head' is relatively low-frequency/archaic, so a B1 learner who knows the two words would be unlikely to infer this specific compound meaning without exposure.

Etymology

Poll parrot may come from the old word poll meaning 'head', because tame parrots often sat on a person's shoulder or close to their head. So the image of a bird near the 'head' explains why poll parrot means a pet or tame parrot today.