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popinjay

[ pop-in-jey ]
/ ˈpɒp ɪnˌdʒeɪ /
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noun
a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop.
British Dialect. a woodpecker, especially the green woodpecker.
Archaic. the figure of a parrot usually fixed on a pole and used as a target in archery and gun shooting.
Archaic. a parrot.
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Origin of popinjay

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English papejay, popingay, papinjai(e), from Middle French papegai, papingay “parrot,” ultimately from Arabic bab(ba)ghā', probably imitative of the bird's cry
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How to use popinjay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for popinjay

popinjay
/ (ˈpɒpɪnˌdʒeɪ) /

noun
a conceited, foppish, or excessively talkative person
an archaic word for parrot
the figure of a parrot used as a target

Word Origin for popinjay

C13 papeniai, from Old French papegay a parrot, from Spanish papagayo, from Arabic babaghā
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
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