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Definition of poppy seed
poppy seed
Plural:poppy seeds
• noun
1
The small, dark, kidney-shaped seed of the opium poppy, commonly used whole or ground as a culinary ingredient, topping, or filling in baked goods and dishes.
Example
"The baker generously sprinkled poppy seeds over the lemon muffins before placing them in the oven."
2
The physical reproductive structure produced by a plant in the poppy family, capable of germinating to grow a new plant.
Example
"After the colorful petals fell away, the gardener carefully harvested the dried pods to save the poppy seeds for next spring."
Word Nuance & Usage
Consumption of unwashed poppy seeds can occasionally trigger false-positive results on drug tests for opiates due to residual alkaloid traces on the seed coats.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Poppy seed. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/poppy%20seed