poppy

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noun pop·py \ ˈpä-pē \

Definition of poppy

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

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Recent Examples of poppy from the Web

St. Anthanasius Byzantine Catholic Church sells can’t-stop-eating poppy seed rolls, by the slice and loaf, and buttery apricot kolachy cookies (good luck getting that dozen home).

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "The best thing to eat at every major farmers market around Indianapolis," 30 Aug. 2017
Acapulco has always been a party town, and became a transit point for U.S.-bound Colombian cocaine and the opium poppy that bloomed along with marijuana in the state's highlands.

— author: joshua partlow, Alaska Dispatch News, "The once-glamorous resort city of Acapulco is now Mexico’s murder capital," 25 Aug. 2017
Trade drugs for drugs—specifically, the caffeine fix in tea for the poppies that grow abundantly on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which at the time was part of the British empire.

— nicola twilley, The Atlantic, "Britain's Great Tea Heist," 2 Aug. 2017
Back then, the small business offering the $4 toast had options like whole-wheat-sesame-poppy bread with butter.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "Americans Are Spending at Least $900,000 Per Month on Avocado Toast, According to Square," 18 July 2017
For the streusel: ¼ cup flour ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cherry Poppy Seed Muffins," 11 July 2017
The daisies and poppies and pastel blooms on an evening capelet were carved from fur.

— vanessa friedman, New York Times, "At Couture Fashion Week, An Antidote to the Instagram Age," 8 July 2017
For a 1985 story on the opium poppy, Mr. White and photographer Steve Raymer visited 30 countries over 18 months.

— bart barnes, Washington Post, "Peter T. White, globe-trotting National Geographic writer, dies at 92," 1 July 2017
Opioids include synthetic pain relievers plus substances that are derived from the opium poppy, mainly heroin.

— don sapatkin, Philly.com, "Opioid-related hospitalizations soar in Pennsylvania," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poppy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of poppy

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

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First Known Use: before 12th century

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POPPY Defined for English Language Learners

poppy

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noun

Definition of poppy for English Language Learners

: a type of plant that has bright red or orange flowers and that is the source of opium; also : its flower

POPPY Defined for Kids

poppy

play

noun pop·py \ ˈpä-pē \

Definition of poppy for Students

plural poppies

:a plant with a hairy stem and showy usually red, yellow, or white flowers

Medical Dictionary

poppy

play

noun pop·py \ ˈpäp-ē \

medical Definition of poppy

plural poppies

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

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See words that rhyme with poppy Spanish Central: Translation of poppy Nglish: Translation of poppy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of poppy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poppy

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