poplar

American  

[pop-ler] / ˈpɒp lər /

noun

• poplars
  plural

1. any of the rapidly growing, salicaceous trees of the genus Populus, usually characterized by the columnar or spirelike manner of growth of its branches.

2. the light, soft wood of any of these trees, used for pulp.

3. any of various similar trees, as the tulip tree.

4. the wood of any such tree.

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poplar British  

/ ˈpɒplə /

noun

1. any tree of the salicaceous genus Populus, of N temperate regions, having triangular leaves, flowers borne in catkins, and light soft wood See also aspen balsam poplar Lombardy poplar white poplar

2. any of various trees resembling the true poplars, such as the tulip tree

3. the wood of any of these trees

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• poplared
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• poplars
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of poplar

1350–1400; Middle English popler ( e ), variant of populer, equivalent to Middle English, Old English popul popple ² (< Latin pōpulus poplar) + -er -er ²; suffix apparently added on model of Middle French pouplier, equivalent to pouple poplar + -ier -ier ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poplar poplars

Chinese white-birch plywood sandwiches sheets of white poplar wood between outer layers of birch veneer, which is peeled from logs that are typically harvested in Siberian forests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Common examples include species of acacia, eucalyptus, poplar, and pine.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 9, 2026

The company will use wood from poplar trees initially but Mr Lau says it's also possible to use bamboo.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2025

The Florentine Renaissance artist, engineer and polymath made the most famous picture of all time, a painted poplar panel that hangs in virtual isolation in the Salle des États at Paris’ Louvre Museum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2024

The fire had gone cold and the horses was where they’s s’pose to be, still tied to a poplar tree.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Chief executive Benjamin Heaven Taylor said black poplars play an important role in reducing flood risk, by lining rivers and floodplains, holding water back.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

A few minutes away, we find Camping L’Océan: smaller, quieter and shaded by tall poplars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

This insect is not native to North America and is a pest of more than 130 species of plants including poplars, ash, beech, maple, willows, dogwood, cotoneaster and lilacs.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2024

Krakovska also anticipates that the willows and poplars emerging in the former reservoir’s lakebed will wither as the water table recedes.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 3, 2024

The pure fragrance of the water and the melody of the wind in the poplars held our fancies.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

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