noun

poppy

PO-pee

noun

A plant with delicate, often bright red petals, some varieties of which are the source of opium.

"Fields of red poppies stretched across the hillside."

A small red paper or fabric flower worn to remember soldiers who died in war.

"He pinned a poppy to his jacket before the Remembrance Day service."

adj

Having the bright orange-red colour of a poppy flower.

"She wore a poppy-red dress to the party."

How to Use Poppy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA red-flowered plant (source of opium in some species), or the paper poppy worn each November to honour fallen soldiers.

UK vs US

The remembrance poppy is a much bigger cultural tradition in the UK and Commonwealth than in the US.

Common pairings

wear a poppy poppy field poppy seed

Word Forms

poppier comparative, more poppy comparative, poppier comparative, more poppy comparative, poppies plural, poppies plural, poppiest superlative, most poppy superlative, poppiest superlative, most poppy superlative

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He pinned a _____ to his jacket before the Remembrance Day service.

Etymology

From Old English popig, ultimately from Latin papaver ("poppy"). The remembrance symbol dates to World War I, popularised by American humanitarian Moina Michael after she was moved by the poem "In Flanders Fields".

Rhymes for poppy

soppy hoppy floppy sloppy choppy

See all rhymes for poppy →