popinjay
[ pop-in-jey ]
/ ˈpɒp ɪnˌdʒeɪ /
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.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!
Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
Origin of popinjay
1275–1325; Middle English papejay, popingay, papinjai(e) < Middle French papegai, papingay parrot < Spanish papagayo < Arabic bab(ba)ghā'
Words nearby popinjay
popeye, popeye catalufa, popeyed, popgun, popinac, popinjay, popish, popish plot, poplar, poplar bluff, poples
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for popinjay
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