poppy

[pop-ee]

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.

poppy

¹

/ 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

poppy

²

/ ˈpɒpɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to pop music

Other Word Forms

• poppylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of poppy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of poppy¹

Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papāver

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

Opioids include drugs such as heroin that come from the opium poppy plant, as well as synthetically-made substances like fentanyl.

From BBC

The mudstones, found in a dusty riverbed by Nasa's Perseverance Rover, are dotted with intriguing markings nicknamed leopard spots and poppy seeds.

From BBC

The field of poppies is dazzling; the additional deer, ants and rodents skittering across the golden sidewalk are simply strange.

From Los Angeles Times

Many humans are infected when they’re nipped by nymph ticks, a period in their life cycle when they’re roughly the size of a poppy seed and barely visible to the naked eye.

From Los Angeles Times

The result was thrown out — and never publicized — because O’Neal told officials he’d eaten a poppy seed muffin shortly before the test.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drug 
• heroin 
• morphine 
• opiate 

When To Use

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.