poppy

1 of 2

noun

pop·​py ˈpä-pē 

plural poppies

1

a

: any of a genus (Papaver of the family Papaveraceae, the poppy family) of chiefly annual or perennial herbs with milky juice, showy regular flowers, and capsular fruits including the opium poppy and several forms cultivated as ornamentals

b

: an extract or decoction of poppy used medicinally

2

: a strong reddish orange

poppy

2 of 2

adjective

pop·​py ˈpä-pē 

poppier; poppiest

: characteristic of popular music especially in being catchy or broadly appealing

a poppy summertime song

"Heart Clicks," the first single and poppiest song on the album, came together overnight as Usher grappled with writer's block.

—David Friend

Aiming for an off-the-wall yet poppy vibe, his latest single … touches on issues that everyone can relate to in some way.

—Beverley Knight

… the group—despite its infatuation with raw, bluesy textures—plays with a crispness that makes even its more sardonic numbers seem relatively bright and poppy.

—Elysa Gardner

By now Chvrches have … repeatedly expressed frustration at people reading unintended messages into their music. Perhaps that's why the two most traditionally poppy songs here are the most pointed: so as to leave no room for misunderstanding.

—Katherine St. Asaph

A Flock of Seagulls sounded like a more cheerful, poppier version of the guitar-driven Irish band U2 on its first album …

—Jon Pareles

Examples of poppy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Everyone for Ten Minutes is strikingly optimistic, with charming saxophone, poppy piano, and major-chord guitar riffs backdropping laidback lyrics. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026

On Sunday, Times photographer Raul Roa captured a rattlesnake hidden beneath a bed of poppies south of Highway 138 in Lancaster. —Jasmine Mendez follow, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Afghanistan's vast poppy fields have been the source of much of the world's heroin, which in combination with decades of conflict and widespread poverty has fueled drug addiction that the country's government has vowed to combat. —Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026

Afghanistan’s vast poppy fields have been the source of much of the world’s heroin, which in combination with decades of conflict and widespread poverty has fueled drug addiction that the country’s government has vowed to combat. —Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English popi, from Old English popæg, popig, modification of Latin papaver

Adjective

pop entry 6 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1970, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing poppy

• California poppy
• corn poppy
• Iceland poppy
• opium poppy
• Oriental poppy
• poppy seed
• prickly poppy
• Shirley poppy

Rhymes for poppy

• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• sloppy
• atopy
• photocopy

Kids Definition

poppy

noun

pop·​py ˈpäp-ē 

plural poppies

: any of a genus of herbs that have milky juice, showy flowers, and a fruit that is a capsule and include one that is the source of opium and several that are grown as ornamental plants

Medical Definition

poppy

noun

pop·​py ˈpäp-ē 

plural poppies

: any herb of the genus Papaver (family Papaveraceae, the poppy family)

especially : opium poppy