poplar

[ pop-ler ]

/ ˈpɒp lər /

Save This Word!

noun

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

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

any of various similar trees, as the tulip tree.

the wood of any such tree.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of poplar

1350–1400; Middle English popler(e), variant of populer, equivalent to Middle English, Old English populpopple² (<Latin pōpulus poplar) + -er-er²; suffix apparently added on model of Middle French pouplier, equivalent to pouple poplar + -ier-ier²

OTHER WORDS FROM poplar

poplared, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH poplar

poplar , popular

Words nearby poplar

pop-in, popinac, popinjay, popish, Popish Plot, poplar, Poplar Bluff, poplin, popliteal, popliteus, popmobility

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use poplar in a sentence

That space-age stuff reinforces a lightweight caruba and poplar core with a big, even flex profile.
Runners-Up Review: These Powder Skis Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|January 9, 2022|Outside Online
The Dictator line features full stout poplar cores and two sheets of metal throughout for stability at speed.
Runners-Up Review: These Powder Skis Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|January 9, 2022|Outside Online
The flex profile of the caruba and poplar wood core is also incredibly inviting.
Runners-Up Review: The All-Mountain Skis That Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|December 17, 2021|Outside Online
She would pass the summer thaws on her grandparents’ farm in northern Minnesota, where her grandfather grew hybrid poplars for paper pulp and her grandmother taught her to cook the food they raised.
Emily Ford Hiked 1,200 Miles in the Dead of Winter|Grayson Haver Currin|May 4, 2021|Outside Online

The researchers are now testing poplar Algobats on real cricket fields.
Why sports are becoming all about numbers — lots and lots of numbers|Silke Schmidt|May 21, 2020|Science News For Students
The poplar trees that line the avenues between the cellblocks are bare.
My Visit To Hell|Christopher Buckley|January 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A little way beyond the poplar-grove Piegan drew rein, and held up one hand.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Far away a gap in the poplar trees showed a German observation balloon, a tiny dot against the sky.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
They climbed the broken staircase and stared toward the break in the poplar trees, from the roofless floor above.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
Small poplar trees were quickly felled in the neighboring forest, and their branches lopped off.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson
Having reached this spot, they lost no time in cutting slender poles of poplar and attaching the lines.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for poplar

poplar

/ (ˈpɒplə) /

noun

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

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

the wood of any of these trees

Word Origin for poplar

C14: from Old French poplier, from pouple, from Latin pōpulus

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