I. ˈpäp verb
( popped ; popped ; popping ; pops )
Etymology: Middle English poppen, of imitative origin
transitive verb
1.
a. : to strike or knock sharply : hit
popped him on the jaw and knocked him cold
b. : assault , attack
c. : break
2. : to push, put, or thrust suddenly
popping questions to his class
popping the berry into her mouth — Virginia Woolf
couldn't go out without popping my head round the door — Fred Majdalany
3. : to cause to explode or burst open
the corn is popped — Jane Nickerson
popped his gum twice — Jean Stafford
4. : to fire at : shoot
went into the woods hoping to pop a rabbit or two
5. Britain : hock , pawn
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to go, come, enter, or issue forth quickly or suddenly : occur or appear unexpectedly
popped around the corner of the house and confronted me — C.B.Kelland
popped into his head out of the blue — John Kobler
b. : to move with agility : dart , jump
the private looked up startled, then popped to … attention — James Jones
2. : to make or burst with a sharp sound : explode
3. : to protrude from the sockets
eyes popping with amazement
eyes were on the point of popping out of his head — T.B.Costain
4. : to shoot with a firearm
pop at a target
pop at a bird
5. : to form blisters : blow — used especially of lime and mortar
6.
a. : to hit a short high fly in baseball that is easily caught
popped to left field
— often used with up or out
b. cricket , of a bowled ball : to rise sharply and travel through the air erratically after pitching — often used with up
7. : backfire 2
•
- pop the question
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from poppen to pop
1.
a. dialect chiefly England : blow , knock , stroke
b. : pop fly
2.
a. : a small sharp quick explosive sound
the faint pop of buttons being undone — Gordon Merrick
the cork flew off with a pop
b. : the time taken by the sound of a pop : instant
3.
a.
(1) : a shot from a gun
when he took a pop at you, he was playing for keeps with your life — Theodore Draper
(2) : gun
the lad got the pistol … and the old man fearing he might do other mischief took the pop away from him — D.D.Martin
b. : attempt , crack , effort , go , try
about to take another pop at matrimony — P.G.Wodehouse
4. : a mark or spot made by a quick stroke : dot
5.
[so called from the sound made by breaking the inflated calyx]
a. : any of several West Indian plants of the genus Physalis
b. : the inflated calyx of a pop plant
6.
[so called from the sound made by drawing the cork of the container]
: a flavored carbonated beverage (as orange soda, root beer) : soda pop
picnics were held with free pop and hamburgers — D.L.Cohn
7.
a. dialect England : redwing
b. Louisiana : painted bunting
8. : a small boss with an inserted setscrew
III. adverb
: like or with a pop : suddenly
I don't know why suddenly everything should go pop
— often used interjectionally
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by shortening
: poppet
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: short for poppa
: father — not often in formal use
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by shortening from popular
1. pops plural but usually singular in construction : a popular orchestra or concert
went to hear the Boston Pops
2. : a popular tune or recording
VII. adjective
also pops ˈpäps
: characterized by a popular tune or a mixture of popular and classical music calculated to appeal to the people in general
become a singer of pop tunes — Morroe Berger
VIII. abbreviation
1. popular; popularly
2. population
IX. noun
Etymology: pop (I)
•
- a pop
X. transitive verb
1. : to take (pills) especially frequently or habitually
he pops vitamins … the way some cowboys gobble jelly beans — P.A.Witteman
2. slang : arrest
3. : to perform (a wheelie) on a vehicle
popped a rambunctious wheelie for two blocks — Robert Cullen
4. : to open with a pop
pop a cold beer
5. : to shoot successfully in basketball
pops an open jump shot
intransitive verb
: pay
the house pops for every third beer — Studs Terkel
XI. adjective
1. : popular
pop fiction
especially : of or relating to the popular culture disseminated through the mass media
pop psychology
2. : of or relating to pop art
XII. noun
Etymology: pop (VI)
1. : popular music
2. sometimes capitalized : pop art herein
3. : pop culture