poppy

[ pop-ee ]

noun

, plural pop·pies

1. any plant of the genus Papaver, having showy, usually red flowers. Compare poppy family.
2. any of several related or similar plants, as the California poppy or the prickly poppy.
3. an extract, as opium, from such a plant.
4. Also called poppy red. an orangish red resembling scarlet.
5. Architecture. poppyhead.
6. an artificial flower resembling a poppy, especially one received as evidence of a contribution to a fund for disabled war veterans.

poppy

¹

/ ˈpɒpɪ /

noun

1. any of numerous papaveraceous plants of the temperate genus Papaver, having red, orange, or white flowers and a milky sap See corn poppy Iceland poppy opium poppy
2. any of several similar or related plants, such as the California poppy, prickly poppy, horned poppy, and Welsh poppy
3. obsolete.
   any of the drugs, such as opium, that are obtained from these plants
4. 1. a strong red to reddish-orange colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      a poppy dress

5. a less common name for poppyhead
6. an artificial red poppy flower worn to mark Remembrance Sunday

poppy

²

/ ˈpɒpɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to pop music

Other Words From

• poppy·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of poppy¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English popæg, papig ≪ Vulgar Latin *papāvum, for Latin papāver

Word History and Origins

Origin of poppy¹

Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papāver

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. tall poppy, Australian. someone of preeminence or with a large income; important and powerful person.

Example Sentences

"When I first started work, you could buy poppy heads - opium," she said.

From BBC

A display featuring the silhouette of a soldier and poppies designed by pupils were also placed outside the school building.

From BBC

Across the UK, poppies are worn each year to mark Remembrance events and commemorate those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts.

From BBC

The Scottish poppy has the same recognisable blood red colour, but it has four-lobed petals and no leaf.

From BBC

Designed by Lucy Turner, from Prison Arts Foundation, the poppy wreath was a collaborative piece of work with armed forces charity SSAFA, Belfast Met and the Prison Service.

From BBC

Related Words

• drug
• heroin
• morphine
• opiate

More About Poppy

What does poppy mean?

The name poppy can refer to any plant in the poppy family, especially in the genus Papaver, which typically have red, orange, or white showy, solitary flowers.

Varieties include the California poppy, the Oriental poppy, the corn poppy, the Iceland poppy, and the prickly poppy. Poppies are popular in gardens and bouquets.

Poppies release a milky sap that we call latex. Poppy seeds are used in baking and cooking. The variety of poppy known as the opium poppy is used to produce opium, which contains several narcotic substances used in drugs and painkilling medicines (including morphine and codeine).

After World War I, red poppies became a symbol used to remember fallen soldiers. Today, these are often artificial. The poppy is one of the August birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).

Example: My grandfather always pins a poppy to his shirt on Memorial Day.

Completely unrelatedly, the word poppy is also an adjective form of the noun pop, as in pop music, which is simply a shortening of popular. This sense of poppy is used to describe things considered representative of pop.

Example: The band seems like they’re going for more of a poppy sound on their new album. 

Where does poppy come from?

The first records of the word poppy come from before the year 900. It comes from the Old English popæg, ultimately from the Latin papāver.

The association between poppies and sleep predates the “poppies will make them sleep” scene in The Wizard of Oz. Opium, whose name comes from a Latin word meaning “poppy juice,” contains several narcotic elements, including morphine, that can cause sleepiness. The narco- root in both narcotic and the name of the sleep disorder narcolepsy comes from the Greek narkē, meaning “numbness.” The word morphine is based on the name of Morpheus, the Greek god of sleep and dreams.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to poppy?

• poppylike (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with poppy? 

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

What are some words that often get used in discussing poppy?

• flower
• red
• orange
• white
• seed
• opium
• opiate
• narcotic
• latex

How is poppy used in real life?

Poppies are popular and well-known flowers. They are known for being a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers. They are also associated with opium. And their seeds are popular in baked goods like breads and muffins.

This absurdly bright flower is celandine poppy! A native here, likes shady woodlands, reseeds a lot. I tried to establish it like five times and failed. The last one managed to set seed and it established in a crack at the edge of the raised bed. I’ll take it. pic.twitter.com/nBuiDOtN6x

— Kingfisher & Wombat (@UrsulaV) March 22, 2021

Harvested my poppy seeds for next year. I think the pods are as pretty as the flowers 🌺

— Hayley (@HayleyNature) July 29, 2021

Bengal to use satellite imagery in fight against poppy cultivation, opium trade https://t.co/VIPNIjkCAW

(@sumanta_rc reports) pic.twitter.com/29RylGVI5L

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) October 3, 2017

Try using poppy!

True or False? 

Latex is derived from poppies.