Cockatiel

//ˌkɒk.əˈtil// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Nymphicus hollandicus, a small, rather atypical cockatoo with a distinctive pointed yellow crest, native to Australia. Avicultural forms come in many color mutations such as White Face Gray, White Face Pearl, Fallow, Pearl Pied, Cinnamon Pearl, and White Face Pied.

    "The smaller parrakeets, such as budgerigars, turquoisines, and love birds, delight In going in and out of the cocoa nuts, but I never saw a cockatiel enter one, nor do I see how they could do so without detriment to their long tails."

  2. 2
    small grey Australian parrot with a yellow crested head wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
cockateelcockateelcockatoo parrotmagpienymphicus hollandicusquarrion

Example

More examples

"The cockatiel, a member of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia, makes an excellent household pet."

Etymology

From Dutch kaketielje, possibly a diminutive of kaketoe (“cockatoo”) or derived in Dutch from a diminutive of Portuguese cacatua (“cockatoo”) such as cacatilho or cacatelho. Attested in English since the mid nineteenth century.

Related phrases

nymphicus hollandicus

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.