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

Segar’s misfit cast: As ever, Popeye is a muscle-bound mumbler and Olive Oyl an elastic lass.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

As New York cop Popeye Doyle in the 1971 film The French Connection, Gene Hackman's cemented his reputation as one of Hollywood's great tough guys.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 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

Popeye first appeared as a peripheral character in January 1929 in E.C.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 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