Word Study
[2x]
: Pâ Pæ Pè Pé Pœ P- P. P/ P< Pa Pb Pc Pd Pe Pf Ph Pi Pj Pk Pl Pm Pn Po Pp Pr Ps Pt Pu Pv Pw Px Py
popinjay
CIDE DICTIONARY
popinjay, n. [OE. popingay, papejay, OF. papegai, papegaut; cf. Pr. papagai, Sp. & Pg. papagayo, It. pappagallo, LGr. , NGr. ; in which the first syllables are perhaps imitative of the bird's chatter, and the last either fr. L. gallus cock, or the same word as E. jay, F. geai. Cf. Papagay.].
- The green woodpecker. [1913 Webster]"The pye and popyngay speak they know not what." [1913 Webster]
- A target in the form of a parrot. [1913 Webster]
- A trifling, chattering, fop or coxcomb. Shak. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
popinjay, n.
1 a fop, a conceited person, a coxcomb.
2 a archaic a parrot. b hist. a figure of a parrot on a pole as a mark to shoot at.
1 a fop, a conceited person, a coxcomb.
2 a archaic a parrot. b hist. a figure of a parrot on a pole as a mark to shoot at.
Etymology
ME f. AF papeiaye, OF papingay etc. f. Sp. papagayo f. Arab. babaga: assim. to JAY
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