Lories

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of colorful, small to medium-sized parrots found primarily in Australia and surrounding regions, often known for their specialized diets of nectar and fruit
2. A type of tropical parrot characterized by its distinctive, vibrant plumage and unique feeding habits that include nectarivory, primarily inhabiting the Australasian region
3. Small, often brightly colored birds belonging to the subfamily Lorini, recognized for their long tongues adapted for extracting nectar from flowers and their social behavior in flocks

Etymology: "Lories" is simply the plural of "lory", a name for certain brightly colored parrots. The singular came into English from Malay, where "luri" was the name of a kind of parrot. Malay speakers may have altered the older word "nuri" to produce it, though that is only a suggestion about how the change happened. The English word is a doublet of "lourie", a related form that reached English by a different route. Despite looking like it might, "lory" has no connection to the Spanish "loro", which also means parrot. The resemblance is pure coincidence, and it is a common trap for anyone who assumes parrot names in European languages share a single origin.

Synonyms: lorikeets, parrots