Jak·o n. Zool. An African parrot (Psittacus erithacus), very commonly kept as a cage bird; -- called also gray parrot.

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 Par·rot n.
 1. Zool. In a general sense, any bird of the order Psittaci.
 2. Zool. Any species of Psittacus, Chrysotis, Pionus, and other genera of the family Psittacidæ, as distinguished from the parrakeets, macaws, and lories.  They have a short rounded or even tail, and often a naked space on the cheeks.  The gray parrot, or jako (Psittacus erithacus) of Africa (see Jako), and the species of Amazon, or green, parrots (Chrysotis) of America, are examples.  Many species, as cage birds, readily learn to imitate sounds, and to repeat words and phrases.
 Carolina parrot Zool., the Carolina parrakeet. See Parrakeet.
 Night parrot, or Owl parrot. Zool. See Kakapo.
 Parrot coal, cannel coal; -- so called from the crackling and chattering sound it makes in burning. [Eng. & Scot.]
 Parrot green. Chem. See Scheele's green, under Green, n.
 Parrot weed Bot., a suffrutescent plant (Bocconia frutescens) of the Poppy family, native of the warmer parts of America.  It has very large, sinuate, pinnatifid leaves, and small, panicled, apetalous flowers.
 Parrot wrasse, Parrot fish Zool., any fish of the genus Scarus.  One species (Scarus Cretensis), found in the Mediterranean, is esteemed by epicures, and was highly prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans.


 Gray a. [Compar. Grayer superl. Grayest.]  [Written also grey.]
 1. any color of neutral hue between white and black; white mixed with black, as the color of pepper and salt, or of ashes, or of hair whitened by age; sometimes, a dark mixed color; as, the soft gray eye of a dove.
    These gray and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks.   --Sir I. Newton.
 2. Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.
 3. Old; mature; as, gray experience. -- Ames.
 Gray antimony Min., stibnite.
 Gray buck Zool., the chickara.
 Gray cobalt Min., smaltite.
 Gray copper  Min., tetrahedrite.
 Gray duck Zool., the gadwall; also applied to the female mallard.
 Gray falcon Zool. the peregrine falcon.
 Gray Friar. See Franciscan, and Friar.
 Gray hen Zool., the female of the blackcock or black grouse. See Heath grouse.
 Gray mill or Gray millet Bot., a name of several plants of the genus Lithospermum; gromwell.
 Gray mullet Zool. any one of the numerous species of the genus Mugil, or family Mugilidæ, found both in the Old World and America; as the European species (Mugilidæ capito, and Mugilidæ auratus), the American striped mullet (Mugilidæ albula), and the white or silver mullet (Mugilidæ Braziliensis). See Mullet.
 Gray owl Zool.,  the European tawny or brown owl (Syrnium aluco). The great gray owl (Ulula cinerea) inhabits arctic America.
 Gray parrot Zool., an African parrot (Psittacus erithacus), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in learning to talk.  Also called jako.
 Gray pike. Zool. See Sauger.
 Gray snapper Zool., a Florida fish; the sea lawyer. See Snapper.
 Gray snipe Zool., the dowitcher in winter plumage.
 Gray whale Zool., a rather large and swift whale of the northern Pacific (Eschrichtius robustus, formerly Rhachianectes glaucus), having short jaws and no dorsal fin.  It grows to a length of 50 feet (someimes 60 feet).  It was formerly taken in large numbers in the bays of California, and is now rare; -- called also grayback, devilfish, and hardhead.  It lives up to 50 or 60 years and adults weigh from 20 to 40 tons.


 Psittacus erithacus
      n : commonly domesticated gray parrot with red-and-black tail
          and white face; native to equatorial Africa [syn: {African
          gray]