Popeye

Cultural  

1. A tattooed, corncob pipe-smoking comic strip character created in the early twentieth century. Popeye the Sailorman is constantly called upon to save his girlfriend, Olive Oyl, from the schemes of the villainous Bluto. To gain the necessary strength, Popeye consumes a can of spinach.

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Though said to have been inspired by the marketing division of a spinach manufacturer, Popeye has proved enduringly popular, spawning adaptations for the radio, animated cartoons, and a motion picture.

Example Sentences

The U.S. military used cloud seeding during the Vietnam War in a classified project called Operation Popeye, to try to gain an advantage by extending the monsoon season, according to the State Department.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Many newspapers have long relied on such collaborations to fill out their pages, whether the syndication is war reports from the Associated Press or Popeye comic strips.

From Slate • May 21, 2025

This year, Popeye the Sailor joins Mickey as a new entrant to the public domain — that is, shedding his core copyright protections on Jan. 1.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024

After this period, they will rejoin their parents, Popeye and Ollie.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2024

And while I kept seeing Paul’s Popeye arms at the back of Rashad’s neck, nobody else seemed to be wondering about why the Galluzzos felt the sudden need for a party.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds