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popinjay. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
popinjay, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
popinjay in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
popinjay you have here. The definition of the word
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English
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
popinjay (plural popinjays)
- (now archaic outside heraldry) A parrot.
- (obsolete) A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc.
- (dated) A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial.
1881, Alfred Ayres , “Nicely”, in The Verbalist:The very quintessence of popinjay vulgarity is reached when nicely is made to do service for well, in this wise: "How do you do?" "Nicely." "How are you?" "Nicely."
- (archery) A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage.
- (UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis.
Translations
decorative image of a parrot
heraldic representation of a parrot
archery: target to shoot at