“pops” is a form of
pop
UK /pɒp/ · US /pɑp/ noun, verb, interjection, adjective, proper noun
Forms pops popping popped pope
- noun (countable) A loud, sharp sound, as of a cork coming out of a bottle, especially when the contents are pressurized by fizziness. “Listen to the pop of a champagne cork.”
- noun (uncountable, regional, Midwestern US, Canada, Inland Northern American, Midlands, Northwestern US, Western Pennsylvania, Northern England) An effervescent or fizzy drink, most frequently nonalcoholic; soda pop. “Lunch was sandwiches and a bottle of pop.”
- noun (countable, regional, Midwestern US, Inland Northern American, Northwestern US, Canada, Western Pennsylvania) A bottle, can, or serving of effervescent or fizzy drink, most frequently nonalcoholic; a soda pop. “Go in the store and buy us three pops.”
- noun A pop shot: a quick, possibly unaimed, shot with a firearm. “The man with the gun took a pop at the rabbit.”
- noun (colloquial, in the phrase "a pop") A quantity dispensed; a portion. “They cost 50 pence a pop.”
- noun Something that stands out or is distinctive to the mind or senses. “a white dress with a pop of red”
- noun (computing) The removal of a data item from the top of a stack.
- noun A bird, the European redwing.
- verb (intransitive) To make a pop, or sharp, quick sound. “The muskets popped away on all sides.”
- verb (ergative) To burst (something) with a popping sound. “The boy with the pin popped the balloon.”
- verb (ergative, literal, figurative) To broach or open (something) in a way that is instantaneous or sudden and that often (literally or notionally) involves a popping sound; to remove (the closure, the lid or top) from something so as to open it in this manner. “pop the hood”
- verb (intransitive, with in, out, upon, etc.) To enter, or issue forth, with a quick, sudden movement; to move from place to place suddenly; to dart. “A rabbit popped out of the hole.”
- verb (transitive, UK, Australia) To place (something) (somewhere); to move or position (something) with a short movement. “Just pop it in the fridge for now.”
- verb (intransitive, often with over, round, along, in, etc.) To make a short trip or visit. “I'm just popping round to the newsagent.”
- verb (intransitive) To stand out; to be distinctive to the senses. “This colour really pops.”
- verb (transitive) To hit (something or someone). “He popped me on the nose.”
- interjection A loud, sharp sound, as of a cork coming out of a bottle.
- noun (colloquial, endearing) One's father or sometimes one's grandfather. “My pop used to tell me to do my homework every night.”
- adjective (used attributively in set phrases) Popular.
- noun Pop music.
Synonyms
the list at soda nip dad dada daddy pa papa pappa soda soda pop soda water tonic popping pop music start protrude pop out bulge bulge out bug out come out crop up pop up toss off bolt down belt down pour down down drink down kill
Etymology
From Middle English pop, poppe (“a blow; strike; buffet”) (> Middle English poppen (“to strike; thrust”, verb)), of onomatopoeic origin – used to describe the sound, or short, sharp actions. The physics sense is part of a facetious sequence "snap, crackle, pop", after the mascots of Rice Krispies cereal.
From papa or poppa.
Clipping of popular.
Clipping of population.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A small, sharp, quick explosive sound or report; as, to go off with a pop. Addison.
- noun An unintoxicating beverage which expels the cork with a pop from the bottle containing it; as, ginger pop; lemon pop, etc. Hood.
- verb To make a pop, or sharp, quick sound; as, the muskets popped away on all sides.
- verb To enter, or issue forth, with a quick, sudden movement; to move from place to place suddenly; to dart; --with in, out, upon, off, etc. He that killed my king . . . Popp'd in between the election and my hopes. Shak.
Etymology [Of imitative origin. Cf. Poop.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pop”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details