pop

[ pop ]

/ pɒp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pop ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), popped, pop·ping.

to make a short, quick, explosive sound: The cork popped.

to burst open with such a sound, as chestnuts or corn in roasting.

to come or go quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly: She popped into the kitchen to check the stove.

to shoot with a firearm: to pop at a mark.

to protrude from the sockets: The news made her eyes pop.

Baseball.

to hit a pop fly (often followed by up).
to pop out.

Informal. to be bright or prominent, especially as against something less distinctive: I love how the colors pop against the neutral walls.

verb (used with object), popped, pop·ping.

to cause to make a sudden, explosive sound.

to cause to burst open with such a sound.

to open suddenly or violently: to pop the hood on a car; to pop the tab on a beer can.

to put or thrust quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly: He popped the muffins into the oven.

Informal. to cause to fire; discharge: He popped his rifle at the bird.

to shoot (usually followed by at, off, etc.): He popped off bottles with a slingshot.

British Slang. to pawn.

Informal.

to take or swallow (pills), especially in excess or habitually; take orally in a compulsive or addictive way: Popping all those pills will land him in the hospital.
to eat in a continual or thoughtless manner, as snack foods: popping peanuts at the movies.

noun

a short, quick, explosive sound.

a popping.

a shot with a firearm.

Informal. soda pop.

a drink or portion of an alcoholic beverage, as a drink of whiskey or a glass of beer: We had a couple of pops on the way home.

Baseball. pop fly.

Informal. a bright or prominent burst of something: Citrus can add a pop of flavor.

adverb

with an explosive sound: The balloon went pop.

quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly: Pop, the door flew open!

adjective

Informal. unexpected; without prior warning or announcement: The teacher gave us a pop quiz.

Verb Phrases

pop for, Informal. to pay or buy for oneself or another, especially as a gift or treat; spring for: I'll pop for the first round of drinks.

pop in, Informal. to visit briefly and unexpectedly; stop in; drop by: Maybe we'll pop in after the movie.

pop off, Informal.

to die, especially suddenly.
to depart, especially abruptly.
to express oneself volubly or excitedly and sometimes irately or indiscreetly: He popped off about the injustice of the verdict.

pop out, Baseball. to be put out by hitting a pop fly caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.

pop up, Baseball. to hit a pop fly.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “blatherskite” mean?

a person given to voluble, empty talk.

an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.

a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.

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Idioms for pop

a pop, Slang. each; apiece: five orchids at $30 a pop.

pop the question, Informal. to propose marriage: They dated for two years before he popped the question.

Origin of pop

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English verb poppen “to strike”; of expressive origin

SYNONYMS FOR pop

3 appear, burst.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pop ON THESAURUS.COM

regional variation note for pop

19. See soda pop.

Words nearby pop

poor white trash, poor-will, Pooterish, pootle, poove, pop, pop art, Popayán, pop concert, popcorn, popcorn flower

Definition for pop (2 of 8)

pop²

[ pop ]

/ pɒp /

adjective

of or relating to popular songs: pop music; pop singers.

of or relating to pop art.

reflecting or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people: pop culture; pop novels.

noun

popular music: It's the first time she's sung pop.

pop art.

Origin of pop

First recorded in 1860–65; shortening of popular

Definition for pop (3 of 8)

pop³

[ pop ]

/ pɒp /

noun Informal.

father.

Origin of pop

First recorded in 1820–30; short form of poppa

Definition for pop (4 of 8)

pop⁴

[ pop ]

/ pɒp /

noun

a frozen ice or ice-cream confection on a stick: Two lemon pops, please.

Origin of pop

⁴

Probably shortening of Popsicle

Definition for pop (5 of 8)

POP

proof-of-purchase.

Definition for pop (6 of 8)

pop.

popular.

popularly.

population.

Definition for pop (7 of 8)

p.o.p.

point-of-purchase.

Definition for pop (8 of 8)

P.O.P.

printout paper.

point-of-purchase.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pop

Just tap and hold on the keyboard when it pops up in any app, then slide your finger across to the keys you want to press without lifting it.
Get around your phone more quickly than you already are|David Nield|September 16, 2020|Popular Science
It started out as a way of finding stuff on the various websites that were popping up, but ended up shaping the very medium it was indexing.
Are search engines dead in China?|Ada Luo|September 14, 2020|Search Engine Watch
In the original complaint, Murphy made the eye-popping charge that Nielsen had perjured herself in front of Congress.
What to make of the DHS whistleblower’s shocking complaint|Alex Ward|September 11, 2020|Vox
It’s a revolving door of regular events, from karaoke and DJ nights to pop-up dinners.
Pre-pandemic, Kuala Lumpur’s hospitality scene was heating up with new design-forward boutique hotels|Rachel King|September 5, 2020|Fortune

Instances of the Sator square have popped up all over Europe.
The ancient palindrome that explains Christopher Nolan’s Tenet|Alissa Wilkinson|September 4, 2020|Vox
The airline industry objects that sometimes these deployable recorders can pop out without cause, spreading needless alarm.
Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep ‘Losing’ Airliners in 2014|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Growing up in that suburbia and air of pop culture, these images stayed with me like a weird dream.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nicki treats the obsession with her pop ambitions as an irrelevant, surface-level irritation.
Nicki Minaj Bares Her Own Vulnerability on ‘The Pinkprint’|Rawiya Kameir|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In attendance was supermodel Elle Macpherson and king of pop Michael Jackson, who also performed.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal|Olivia Nuzzi|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was the kid making a tidy profit burning CDs for all my friends at two bucks a pop back during the Napster heyday in 2000.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer|Arthur Chu|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I wanted to paddle harder all the time but Pop here wouldnt let me.
The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp|Ross Kay
Another "had been a-tryin' eli-cum-paine and pop'lar bark, but it didn't lie good on her stomach, and made her enymost crazy."
The Puddleford Papers,|H. H. Riley
Pop Yak had turned out another on the same model, a younger simpler duplicate of himself.
The Man Who Staked the Stars|Charles Dye
Pop was rapidly becoming more like his former self, but it would take some time yet.
Baseball Joe in the Central League|Lester Chadwick
Pop was pale and triumphant, and breathing harder than his mount.
Cow-Country|B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for pop (1 of 5)

pop¹

/ (pɒp) /

verb pops, popping or popped

to make or cause to make a light sharp explosive sound

to burst open or cause to burst open with such a sound

(intr; often foll by in, out, etc) informal to come (to) or go (from) rapidly or suddenly; to pay a brief or unexpected visit (to)

(intr) (esp of the eyes) to protrudeher eyes popped with amazement

to shoot or fire at (a target) with a firearm

(tr) to place or put with a sudden movementshe popped some tablets into her mouth

(tr) informal to pawnhe popped his watch yesterday

(tr) slang to take (a drug) in pill form or as an injectionpill popping

pop one's clogs See clog 1 (def. 9)

pop the question informal to propose marriage

noun

a light sharp explosive sound; crack

informal a flavoured nonalcoholic carbonated beverage

informal a try; attempthave a pop at goal

informal an instance of criticismTownsend has had a pop at modern bands

a pop informal each30 million shares at 7 dollars a pop

adverb

with a popping sound

interjection

an exclamation denoting a sharp explosive sound

Word Origin for pop

C14: of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for pop (2 of 5)

pop²

/ (pɒp) /

noun

music of general appeal, esp among young people, that originated as a distinctive genre in the 1950s. It is generally characterized by a strong rhythmic element and the use of electrical amplification
(as modifier)pop music; a pop record; a pop group

informal a piece of popular or light classical music

adjective

informal short for popular

British Dictionary definitions for pop (3 of 5)

pop³

/ (pɒp) /

noun

an informal word for father

informal a name used in addressing an old or middle-aged man

British Dictionary definitions for pop (4 of 5)

POP

abbreviation for

point of presence: a device that enables access to the internet

internet post office protocol: a protocol which brings e-mail to and from a mail server

Post Office Preferred (size of envelopes, etc)

persistent organic pollutant

British Dictionary definitions for pop (5 of 5)

pop.

abbreviation for

popular

popularly

population

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

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WORD OF THE DAY

pop

verb (used without object), popped, pop·ping.

verb (used with object), popped, pop·ping.

noun

adverb

adjective

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Idioms for pop

Origin of pop

SYNONYMS FOR pop

regional variation note for pop

Words nearby pop

Definition for pop (2 of 8)

adjective

noun

Origin of pop

Definition for pop (3 of 8)

noun Informal.

Origin of pop

Definition for pop (4 of 8)

noun

Origin of pop

Definition for pop (5 of 8)

Definition for pop (6 of 8)

Definition for pop (7 of 8)

Definition for pop (8 of 8)

Words related to pop

Example sentences from the Web for pop

British Dictionary definitions for pop (1 of 5)

verb pops, popping or popped

noun

adverb

interjection

Word Origin for pop

British Dictionary definitions for pop (2 of 5)

noun

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for pop (3 of 5)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for pop (4 of 5)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for pop (5 of 5)

abbreviation for