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Definition of parotia

parotia

/pəˈroʊtiə/
pa · ro · ti · a
Plural:parotias
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parotia Lexical Profile

• 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

parolee
paronychia
paroo
parotia
parp
parquet
parrot

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 Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/parotia
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