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poppy seed

American

noun

seed of the poppy plant, used as an ingredient or topping for breads, rolls, cakes, and cookies.

poppy seed British

noun

the small grey seeds of one type of poppy flower, used esp on loaves and as a cake filling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of poppy seed

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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 • Dec. 12, 2025

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 • Aug. 13, 2025

The internal anatomy of a prehistoric creature the size of a poppy seed has been revealed in “astonishing detail”.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024

The couple now run the dessert shop Coping Cookies on Capitol Hill, with seasonable flavors such as lemon-boysenberry, Earl Grey and lemon poppy seed.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2023

“I don’t wax on about my worship. It’s personal. And honestly, poppy seed soup, bah.”

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023