budgerigar

American  

[buhj-uh-ree-gahr, -er-i-] / ˈbʌdʒ ə riˌgɑr, -ər ɪ- /

Also budgereegah,

1. an Australian parakeet, Melopsittacus undulatus, having greenish plumage with black and yellow markings, bred as a pet in a variety of colors.

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budgerigar British  

/ ˈbʌdʒərɪˌɡɑː /

noun

1. Often (informal) shortened to: budgie.  a small green Australian parrot, Melopsittacus undulatus : a popular cagebird that is bred in many different coloured varieties

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Etymology

Origin of budgerigar

First recorded in 1840–50; perhaps misrepresentation of Kamilaroi or Yuwaalaraay (an Australian Aboriginal language of northern New South Wales) gijirrigā (perhaps gijirr “yellow” or “small” + gā “head”)

Example Sentences

And this book about “million-dollar babies” has a lot of million-dollar words: etiolated, accidie, budgerigar.

From New York Times • Feb. 15, 2022

He perches on a kitchen chair like a budgerigar in its cage.

From The Guardian • Dec. 5, 2010

They are, of course, of the parrot family, but their correct name is shell parakeet or budgerigar .

From Time Magazine Archive

A caged budgerigar chirps beneath Rembrandt's The Cradle.

From Time Magazine Archive