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popcorn

American

[pop-kawrn] / ˈpɒpˌkɔrn /

noun

any of several varieties of corn whose kernels burst open and puff out when subjected to dry heat.
popped corn.
peanut.

popcorn British

/ ˈpɒpˌkɔːn /

noun

a variety of maize having hard pointed kernels that puff up when heated
the puffed edible kernels of this plant

"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 popcorn

1810–20, short for popped corn. See pop ¹, -ed ², corn ¹

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:

popcorn

A scoop of popcorn is now $7, up from $6.50.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The ‘Odyssey’ horse that inspired a $70 plastic popcorn holder.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

It’ll be too hot to dress up in 19th-century garb, but Rachel plans to serve “Little House”-inspired snacks of popcorn and apples, foods the family ate throughout the series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

"When you go to Homer, it's a very crowd-pleasing story. It's popcorn stuff. I mean that's the joy of it and that's why it's endured for this long."

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Maybe I’d get some popcorn, just in case I had an opportunity to share.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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