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popinjay
[ pop-in-jey ]
/ ˈpɒp ɪnˌdʒeɪ /
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noun
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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
Words nearby popinjay
popeyed, pop fly, popgun, pop-in, popinac, popinjay, popish, Popish Plot, poplar, Poplar Bluff, poplin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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
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