what does this word actually mean?

bubu   Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:34 am GMT
Hello!!

Can the word 'parrot' as a verb mean cram something.

Can we say "the students only parroted the answer".
[the teacher asked them a question and they answered the question just by what they had memorised without understanding a word of it]

Thank you
Uriel   Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:49 am GMT
Yes, "parrot" means to repeat, usually with the implication that the information being repeated is not really understood or internalized.

"Cram", however, usually means to stuff something into something else (she crammed as much bread into her mouth as her cheeks would hold) or, in slang, to study really hard just before a test (we crammed all night for the final history exam).