poplar

American  

[pop-ler] / ˈpɒp lər /

noun

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

• poplared adjective

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

Example Sentences

At this time of the year, Chinese social media is awash with photographs of Xinjiang's poplar forests bathed in autumn's amber glow.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 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

Ranchera music filled her section of the field as a cool breeze blew through four towering poplar trees Alvarez’s father, Hilario Alvarez, planted when he bought the farm in 1988.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2023

In their experiments, which used poplar plants, the team also found that when a leaf experienced warming of 10 degrees Celsius, its isoprene emission increased more than tenfold, Sahu said.

From Science Daily • Oct. 5, 2023

In fact, I was looking out over the lawn to where the mist was thickening down around the poplar trees planted along the cart-track, when I finally introduced the topic of the previous year's dismissals.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro