poppy

American  

[pop-ee] / ˈpɒp i /

noun

plural

poppies

1. any plant of the genus Papaver, having showy, usually red flowers.

2. any of several related or similar plants, as the California poppy or the prickly poppy.

3. an extract, as opium, from such a plant.

4. Also called poppy red.  an orangish red resembling scarlet.

5. Architecture. poppyhead.

6. an artificial flower resembling a poppy, especially one received as evidence of a contribution to a fund for disabled war veterans.

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idioms

1. tall poppy, someone of preeminence or with a large income; important and powerful person.

poppy ¹ British  

/ ˈpɒpɪ /

noun

1. any of numerous papaveraceous plants of the temperate genus Papaver, having red, orange, or white flowers and a milky sap See corn poppy Iceland poppy opium poppy

2. any of several similar or related plants, such as the California poppy, prickly poppy, horned poppy, and Welsh poppy

3. obsolete any of the drugs, such as opium, that are obtained from these plants

4. 1. a strong red to reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a poppy dress

5. a less common name for poppyhead

6. an artificial red poppy flower worn to mark Remembrance Sunday

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poppy ² British  

/ ˈpɒpɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to pop music

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Usage

What does poppy mean? The name poppy can refer to any plant in the poppy family, especially in the genus Papaver, which typically have red, orange, or white showy, solitary flowers.Varieties include the California poppy, the Oriental poppy, the corn poppy, the Iceland poppy, and the prickly poppy. Poppies are popular in gardens and bouquets.Poppies release a milky sap that we call latex. Poppy seeds are used in baking and cooking. The variety of poppy known as the opium poppy is used to produce opium, which contains several narcotic substances used in drugs and painkilling medicines (including morphine and codeine).After World War I, red poppies became a symbol used to remember fallen soldiers. Today, these are often artificial. The poppy is one of the August birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).Example: My grandfather always pins a poppy to his shirt on Memorial Day.Completely unrelatedly, the word poppy is also an adjective form of the noun pop, as in pop music, which is simply a shortening of popular. This sense of poppy is used to describe things considered representative of pop.Example: The band seems like they’re going for more of a poppy sound on their new album. 

Other Word Forms

• poppylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of poppy

before 900; Middle English; Old English popæg, papig ≪ Vulgar Latin *papāvum, for Latin papāver

Example Sentences

The poppy plant is also referenced in several ancient texts, including the Ebers Papyrus, Hippocrates, Dioscorides's De Materia Medica, and Galen.

From Science Daily

The LED recording light is about the size of a poppy seed, so it’s on you to tell people you’re wearing a wire.

From The Wall Street Journal

The intriguing markings, nicknamed leopard spots and poppy seeds, contain minerals produced by chemical reactions that could be associated with ancient microbes.

From BBC

In winter, it's a wonderland of ski resorts and ice-sculpture festivals; in summer, fields bloom with bands of lavender, poppies and sunflowers.

From BBC

The “New York” part of the dish comes with the addition of chopped herbs and either poppy seeds or everything-bagel seasoning to the batter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• drug
• heroin
• morphine
• opiate