poppy
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poppy¹
- /ˈpɒpi/ UK
- /ˈpɑpi/ US
Rhymes with -ɒpi
Where it comes from
PIE word
*péh₂wr̥
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.
noun poppies
- 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. In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row, / That mark our place; […] / If ye break faith with us who die / We shall not sleep, though poppies grow / In Flanders fields.
- A bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower.
- 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. Troops from the garrison town formed a guard of honour for both sets of players, who emerged for the national anthem with poppies proudly stitched into their tracksuit jackets.
adjective
- Of a bright red colour tinted with orange, like that of the common poppy flower (Papaver rhoeas).
poppy²
- /ˈpɒpi/ UK
- /ˈpɑpi/ US
Rhymes with -ɒpi
Where it comes from
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’).
adjective poppier · more poppy · poppiest · most poppy
- Having a popping or bursting sound.
- Of a beverage: resembling soda pop; effervescent, fizzy.
-
Of eyes: protruding, sticking out.
Similar: bulging
poppy³
- /ˈpɒpi/ UK
- /ˈpɑpi/ US
Rhymes with -ɒpi
Where it comes from
From pop(ular) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).
adjective poppier · more poppy · poppiest · most poppy
- Popular.
- Typical of, or in the style of, pop music. I thought Sparks were great; they were very poppy for Island Records. They were considered an oddity but you have to remember that at the time Roxy Music, now everyone's seminal band, were seen as very poppy.
poppy⁴
- /ˈpɒpi/ UK
- /ˈpɑpi/ US
Rhymes with -ɒpi
Where it comes from
From pop (“affectionate form of father”) + -y (suffix forming terms of endearment).
Poppy⁵
proper noun
- A female given name from English, a flower name used since the end of the 19th century. "It is a very pretty name, Mma. I should like to be called Poppy." The compliment drew a smile. "I used to be very embarrassed about it," said Poppy. "I used to try to hide my name from people. I thought it was a very silly name." Mma Ramotswe shook her head. There was nothing embarrassing about the
Poppy⁶
proper noun
- Alternative form of poppy (“father, grandfather, or other male authority figure of a similar standing”). My grandfather, whom we all call "Poppy", loves children and enjoys imparting his knowledge of aspects to them. ... Cell phones were not invented at the time, however, so I could not contact Poppy to help me end the hiccups.
- Former U.S. president George H. W. Bush
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: celandine, cannabis, cultivation, crop, pot, opium, taste, flavour, mak, molly, daddy, dad, papa, grandpa, papi, brite
Translations
Every language
noun plant of the genus Papaver
| Español | amapola, adormidera |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 양귀비 yanggwibi |
| 日本語 | ケシ keshi, ポピー popī, 罌粟, 芥子 keshi |
| 中文 | 罌粟 /罂粟 yīngsù |
| हिन्दी | पोस्त post, पॉपी pŏpī |
| Kiswahili | mpopi |
| Português | papoula |
| Français | pavot |
| Deutsch | Mohn |
| Italiano | papavero |
| Ελληνικά | παπαρούνα paparoúna |
| Română | mac |
| Русский | мак mak |
| العربية | خشخاش |
| עברית | פרג parág |
noun bright red colour tinted with orange
| 日本語 | ケシ色 keshi-iro |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | rangi ya mipopi |
| Ελληνικά | παπαρουνί paparouní |
| Русский | а́лый ályj |
noun artificial poppy flower to remember those who died in the two World Wars and other armed conflicts
| Français | coquelicot |
|---|
adj having a popping or busting sound
| Español | borboteante, entusiástico, burbujeante |
|---|
adj typical, or in the style, of pop music
| Русский | попсовый popsóvyj |
|---|
Talk about this word "poppy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/poppy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. poppy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/poppy "poppy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/poppy.Cite this
@misc{poppy_2026,
title = {poppy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/poppy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
