lollipop

American  

[lol-ee-pop] / ˈlɒl iˌpɒp /

Or lollypop

noun

1. a piece of hard candy attached to the end of a small stick that is held in the hand while the candy is licked.

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lollipop British  

/ ˈlɒlɪˌpɒp /

noun

1. a boiled sweet or toffee stuck on a small wooden stick

2. another word for ice lolly

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Etymology

Origin of lollipop

1785–95; dial. lolly tongue + pop ¹

Explanation

A lollipop is hard candy on a stick that you lick or suck. You may suck on a lollipop and be surprised to find candy or gum in its center. Bonus! Some lollipops are small, round, and fruity, while others are swirls of color as big as your head. Still other lollipops are long and skinny, or filled with liquid or bubble gum centers. The thing they all have in common is the stick you hold while eating them. Guesses about the origin of the lolli or lolly part of this word include to loll, or "dangle" the tongue, or the north England dialect "tongue" meaning of lolly.

Example Sentences

A 91-year-old lollipop man from Greater Manchester is completing his final crossing after 28 years on the job.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

At an assisted-living home, Vinit Shinde lay paralyzed in bed attempting to suck on a lollipop.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2025

They also bought some of Eric's pipes, typewriter and his first ever prop - a wooden lollipop.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

As the likes accrue, it’s hard not to be envious, or at least intrigued, by influencers splayed atop a lollipop swing on TikTok.

From Slate • Nov. 30, 2024

One photo, Laila remembered, showed a man in a long white coat handing a lollipop to a legless little boy.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini