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Definition of budgerigar
budgerigar
/ˈbʌdʒ.ɚ.ɪˌɡɑːr/
bud · ger · i · gar
Plural:budgerigars
budgerigar Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
7
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
budgerigar Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A small, gregarious Australian parakeet that typically has green and yellow plumage in the wild, widely kept globally as a popular cage bird in a variety of bred colors.
Example
"We bought a young blue budgerigar from the local breeder and quickly taught it how to mimic a few words."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for budgerigarWord Nuance & Usage
While known formally as a budgerigar globally, the bird is most commonly referred to by the diminutive 'budgie' in British and Australian English, and broadly as a 'parakeet' in American English.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the mid-19th century from the Kamilaroi (an Australian Aboriginal language) word 'gijirrigaa', referring specifically to this small native parrot.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Budgerigar. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/budgerigar