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
You never know which stars might pop in during a festival this stacked, and if you haven’t been to a live show yet, there’s only one way to fix that.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
“Yet, the data show potential for a strong pop in U.S. consumer spending.”
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Located on Trinity Street, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, the house is opposite Gwen's where Bryn would frequently pop in for an omelette and the occasional mint Baileys.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
They pop in and pop in, like Malcolm used to do when she was studying for some really intense final in her room.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
