popcorn

[ 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(def 4c).

Origin of popcorn

1810–20, Americanism; short for popped corn. See pop¹, -ed², corn¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for popcorn

When his success was finally projected for the crowd—a 58 to 40 win—the crowd roared, popcorn spilling onto the floor.
Mitch’s Brotastic Victory Bash|Olivia Nuzzi|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But no, they picked a medication that would make every doctor, nurse, and pharmacist in the audience choke on their popcorn.
Scandal’s Finale Featured One of the Most Preposterous TV Deaths Ever|Russell Saunders|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Words had been exchanged and the texter, Chad Oulson, had stood up and may have thrown a bag of popcorn.
The Movie Murder 911 Tape: Victim’s Last Breaths, With Shooter Nearby|Michael Daly|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Popcorn, or a disgusting French sour jellybean-like thing called Bubbliz.
How I Write: Diane Johnson|Noah Charney|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Escobar reported that 43-year-old Chad Oulson had thrown “an unknown object,” maybe a bag of popcorn, at Reeves.
Ex-Cop’s Shooting of Texting Moviegoer Ends in Tragedy|Michael Daly|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, butter and salt the popcorn you have made and share it with others.
Electricity for the 4-H Scientist|Eric B. Wilson
I went to the show ground and I seed 'em buyin' goobers and popcorn.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Arkansas Narratives, Part 4|Work Projects Administration
We hung it with the gingerbread animals, strings of popcorn, and bits of candle which Fuchs had fitted into pasteboard sockets.
My Antonia|Willa Cather
There isnt a single girl at the beach this year that amounts to a handful of popcorn.
Marjorie Dean College Freshman|Pauline Lester
The business flourished and some one advised my friend that he should put in popcorn as a sideline.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 11 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard

British Dictionary definitions for popcorn

popcorn

/ (ˈpɒpˌkɔːn) /

noun

a variety of maize having hard pointed kernels that puff up when heated

the puffed edible kernels of this plant

Word Origin for popcorn

C19: so called because of the noise the grains make when they swell up and burst on heating

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

Word Origin and History for popcorn