pop
pop Lexical Profile
pop Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to commercial popular music or modern mass culture.
"She grew up listening to classic pop songs on the radio."
Occurring unexpectedly or without prior warning, especially of a school quiz or visit.
"The teacher surprised the students with a pop quiz on Friday morning."
Accessible to the general public rather than restricted to academic or technical specialists.
"He reads a lot of pop psychology books in his spare time."
• noun
Commercial popular music, typically characterized by catchy melodies, a strong rhythmic beat, and wide appeal to a general audience.
"The festival features a diverse lineup of rock, indie, and synth-driven pop."
A light, sharp, explosive sound, such as that made by a bursting balloon or a cork being drawn from a bottle.
"The champagne cork came out with a loud pop."
North American A sweetened, carbonated non-alcoholic beverage; a soft drink.
"We stopped at the convenience store to buy a bag of ice and a six-pack of pop."
American An informal, affectionate term for one's father, or a familiar form of address for an older man.
"My pop taught me how to repair bicycles in our garage."
A single instance, item, or unit of cost (usually in the phrase 'a pop').
"Concert tickets were selling for two hundred dollars a pop."
• verb
To make or cause to make a light, sharp explosive sound, often by bursting open.
"Several balloons popped when they brushed against the rough brick wall."
To go, come, or appear somewhere quickly, suddenly, or for a brief visit.
"I am going to pop into the bakery on my way home to pick up some bread."
To put, thrust, or place something quickly and casually in a specified position.
"She popped a peppermint into her mouth before entering the meeting."
To bulge out wide or appear vividly striking (especially of eyes or colors).
"The bright yellow frame really makes the painting pop against the gray wall."
To heat kernels of corn or similar grains until they burst open into a light, fluffy mass.
"We popped a large bowl of corn to eat while watching the movie."
• interjection
Used to imitate or represent a sudden, light explosive sound or abrupt action.
"Just prick the bubble with a pin and—pop!—it disappears."
• adverb
With a sudden, sharp explosive sound or abrupt movement.
"Pop went the cork, and everyone cheered to celebrate the new year."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American regional dialects, 'pop' is widely used in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest to refer to carbonated soft drinks, whereas 'soda' predominates in the Northeast and West Coast.
• Rhymes for pop
Word Origin & Etymology
The sound and movement senses originate from Middle English 'poppen' (around 1300), of imitative origin. The sense relating to popular culture and music is a 19th-century shortening of 'popular', while the sense meaning 'father' is an alteration of 'papa'.