poplar

noun

pop·​lar ˈpä-plər 

1

a

: any of a genus (Populus) of slender catkin-bearing quick-growing deciduous trees (such as an aspen or cottonwood) of the willow family

b

: the wood of a poplar

2

: tulip tree sense 1

Examples of poplar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile research has shown that warmer conditions delay leaf fall in oak and beech, whereas other studies find the opposite is true in birch and poplar. —Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025

Of course, small, lightweight leaves from maples, poplars, and willows will decompose more quickly than larger, thicker leaves like white oak, magnolia, and sweetgum. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile, microbiologist Sharon Doty and collaborators look to endophytes of wild poplars and willows from harsh environments. —Anna Marija Helt, JSTOR Daily, 17 Sep. 2025

Always this same great beauty of the sky, reaching above the poplars, those great black columns. —Literary Hub, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popler, from Anglo-French, from Old French *pople poplar, from Latin populus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing poplar

• balsam poplar
• Lombardy poplar
• tulip poplar
• yellow poplar

Kids Definition

poplar

noun

pop·​lar ˈpäp-lər 

1

: any of a genus of slender quick-growing trees (as an aspen or cottonwood) that have catkins for flowers and are related to the willows

2

: the wood of a poplar

Geographical Definition

Poplar

geographical name

Pop·​lar ˈpä-plər 

former metropolitan borough of eastern London, England, on the northern bank of the Thames River that is now part of the borough of Tower Hamlets