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Definition of parotia
parotia
/pəˈroʊtiə/
pa · ro · ti · a
Plural:parotias
parotia Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
13
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A bird of paradise belonging to the genus Parotia, native to the mountain forests of New Guinea, characterized by the adult males possessing six long, wire-like feathers with spatulate tips extending from the sides of the head.
Example
"During the breeding season, the male Lawes's parotia clears a spot on the forest floor to perform a complex, ballerina-like mating dance."
• Rhymes for parotia
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Modern Latin 'Parotia', derived from Greek 'parōtia' (a curl of hair by the ear), referencing the prominent, wire-like feathers that spring from the heads of adult males just behind the eyes.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Parotia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/parotia