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

Barcelona thought they had him, as did most fans when Gerard Pique - whose company produced the show - tweeted a popcorn emoji.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

"They each have a bowl of popcorn and treats and we move the sofas into two rows so it's like a cinema."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Nolan’s biggest leap was in trying to shape a tale from the Bronze Age into a gripping summer popcorn movie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Rabia loved eating chili cheese popcorn with extra butter while she worked.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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