poppy
UK /ˈpɒpi/ · US /ˈpɑpi/ noun, adjective, proper noun
Forms poppies poppier poppiest poppie
- noun Any plant of the genus Papaver or the family Papaveraceae, with crumpled, often red, petals and a milky juice having narcotic properties; especially a common poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) which has orange-red flowers; the flower of such a plant.
- noun A bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower.
- noun (chiefly Australia, UK, Canada) A simple artificial poppy flower worn in a buttonhole or displayed in other contexts to remember those who died in the two World Wars and other armed conflicts, especially around Remembrance Day/Remembrance Sunday.
- adjective Of a bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower (Papaver rhoeas).
- adjective Having a popping or bursting sound.
- adjective Of a beverage: resembling soda pop; effervescent, fizzy.
- adjective Of eyes: protruding, sticking out.
- adjective (dated) Popular.
- adjective (music) Typical of, or in the style of, pop music.
- noun (endearing) One's father or grandfather, or a male authority figure having similar standing.
- proper noun (chiefly UK) A female given name from English, a flower name used since the end of the 19th century.
- proper noun (informal) Former U.S. president George H. W. Bush
Synonyms
Etymology
The noun is derived from Late Middle English poppy, Middle English popy, popi, popie (“plant of the genus Papaver; poppy seeds used as a spice”) [and other forms], from Old English popiġ (“poppy”), Early Old English popeġ, popaeġ, popæġ, popei [and other forms], perhaps from Late Latin *papavum, popauer, from Latin papāver (“poppy”), which may be from a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“bonfire”). Doublet of papaver.
Sense 3 (“artificial poppy flower to remember those who died in the two World Wars and other armed conflicts”) reflects the efforts of American professor and humanitarian Moina Michael (1869–1944) to popularize the wearing of artificial poppies in remembrance of those who fought and died in World War I; she was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” (1915) by the Canadian poet and soldier John McCrae (1872–1918): see the quotation.
The adjective is derived from the noun.
From pop (“loud, sharp sound; fizzy drink; to make or burst with a loud, sharp sound; to stand out”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).
From pop(ular) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).
From pop (“affectionate form of father”) + -y (suffix forming terms of endearment).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Any plant or species of the genus Papaver, herbs with showy polypetalous flowers and a milky juice. From one species (Papaver somniferum) opium is obtained, though all the species contain it to some extent; also, a flower of the plant. See Illust. of Capsule.
- noun A raised ornament frequently having the form of a final. It is generally used on the tops of the upright ends or elbows which terminate seats, etc., in Gothic churches.
Etymology [OE. popy, AS. popig, L. papaver.]
Etymology [F. poupée doll, puppet. See Puppet.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “poppy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details