pop-in
Americanadjective
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requiring only a quick insertion into a receptacle to be ready for use.
Our new stroller has a pop-in frame for a baby carrier, so the baby can be transferred in or out without waking.
I bought a guitar with a pop-in whammy bar, which I prefer over the old screw-in types.
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designating a quick, often impromptu visit, or an event or venue that welcomes or includes such visits: It was a rainy Saturday, so I took the kids to a pop-in play center.
The mayor’s holiday open house featured pop-in appearances from a number of local celebrities.
It was a rainy Saturday, so I took the kids to a pop-in play center.
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(of a retail business) located within a larger store from which it rents space.
Opening a pop-in shop can help you try out brick-and-mortar retail with minimal capital investment.
noun
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a pop-in item, visit, event, or venue.
The café is a fun, casual spot, great for a pop-in after work with friends.
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Digital Technology. (in video games) the tendency of objects, textures, lighting, or game geometry to pop into existence or into higher resolution after a delay in rendering, instead of loading with the rest of the environment or scene (often used attributively).
Despite some pop-in issues, the views in this game are often quite lovely.
verb phrase
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to visit briefly and unexpectedly; stop in; drop by.
Maybe we'll pop in after the movie.
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to insert or be inserted into a receptacle with a quick, easy motion.
Doing bacon in the oven is so easy—just pop it in and wait!
The battery pops in like so, and then you snap the cover on.
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Digital Technology. (of objects, textures, etc., in video games) to come suddenly into existence or into higher resolution after a delay in rendering, instead of loading with the rest of the environment or scene.
Sometimes you'll even be fully on a rock and climbing it by the time the high-res texture pops in.
Etymology
Origin of pop-in
First recorded in 1835–45; adjective use of verb phrase pop in
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.
These figures confirm the inflation pop in the recent personal-consumption-expenditure data.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Speaking to The Times of London, he said that radio pop in 2026 is one long ramble.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
"Only in Australia and only at Hobart Airport could a local possum pop in for a quick browse among the souvenirs," an airport spokesperson said.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Mosmo also incorporates elements of trap and reggaeton in songs like “Dimensiones,” as well as pop in the bilingual track “Siempre Tú.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
First thing we do is pop in some hip-hop, I told ’em, switching my bag to the other shoulder.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
