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Definition of shirley poppy
shirley poppy
Plural:Shirley poppies
shirley poppy Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
10
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A cultivated, ornamental variety of the common field poppy (Papaver rhoeas), originally developed in England, characterized by delicate, often pastel petals in shades of white, pink, orange, or red, and notable for lacking the dark basal spots typical of wild poppies.
Example
"The gardener sowed seeds along the border of the cottage garden, anticipating a vibrant summer display of Shirley poppies."
• 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 Shirley poppy. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/shirley poppy