noun
Meaning 1
A parrot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: now archaic outside heraldry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
popinjay
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: pŏʹpĭnjā
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UK: /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/
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US: päʹpĭnjā'
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US: /ˈpɑpənˌd͡ʒeɪ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
noun
Meaning 2
A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fop, macaroni, peacock, barbermonger, beau, blade, blood, buck, carpet knight, cockscomb, dandy, dike, dood, dude, dudelet, exquisite, fashionable, fast man, fine gentleman, foretop, fribble, gallant, go, jack-a-dandy, Jemmy-Jessamy, jetter, masher, metrosexual, mignon, petit maître, popinjay, pretty boy, prig, puss-gentleman, smart, spark, spiff, swell, tippy, toff
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: archery, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
The green woodpecker, Picus viridis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
an archaic term for a parrot
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: parrot
noun
Meaning 7
a vain and talkative person (chatters like a parrot)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: egotist, egoist, swellhead
History
Etymology
From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ, “parrot”), of imitative origin.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: papukaija — decorative image of a parrot
- Finnish: papukaija — heraldic representation of a parrot
- Swedish: papegoja — heraldic representation of a parrot
- Arabic: سَطْحِيّ (saṭḥiyy) — vain, gaudy person
- Arabic: سَطْحِيَّة (saṭḥiyya) — vain, gaudy person
- Bulgarian: конте (konte) — vain, gaudy person
- Bulgarian: франт (frant) — vain, gaudy person
- Dutch: windbuil — vain, gaudy person
- Dutch: verwaand heerschap — vain, gaudy person
- Dutch: kwastl — vain, gaudy person
- Finnish: pintaliitäjä — vain, gaudy person
- Macedonian: конте (konte) — vain, gaudy person
- Macedonian: гиздавец (gizdavec) — vain, gaudy person
- Russian: фат (fat) — vain, gaudy person
- Russian: щёголь (ščógolʹ) — vain, gaudy person
- Spanish: pisaverde — vain, gaudy person
- Spanish: gomoso — vain, gaudy person
- Ottoman Turkish: هوپپا (hoppa) — vain, gaudy person
- Dutch: gaai — archery: target to shoot at
- Finnish: papukaija — archery: target to shoot at
- Finnish: maali — archery: target to shoot at