pops

American

[pops] / pɒps /

adjective

of or relating to a symphony orchestra specializing in popular or light classical music.

Thursday is pops night on the concert series.

noun

(used with a singular verb) Pops, a symphony orchestra specializing in popular and light classical music.

When you're in Boston be sure to hear the Pops.

Etymology

Origin of pops

First recorded in 1955–60; see origin at pop ²

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.

See Examples For:

pops

It crowds grocery store shelves and regularly pops up on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

When Evans derails the conversation again, a new question pops up — an occurrence in this film as natural and frequent as breathing.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

DJ and party attendee Sarah Graves loves the queer vendors selling accessories, giving out harm-reduction materials, and zines, and the Piercings by Mire booth that frequently pops up at the rave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Hear'Say were top of the pops, a mobile phone game called 'Snake' was all the rage and Tony Blair was Prime Minister.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

I know this is a religious ceremony, but the phrase that pops into my head comes from the Indy 500: Gentlemen, start your engines...

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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