popinjay

Meaning

1. A parrot.
2. (obsolete) A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc.
3. (dated) A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial.
4. A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage.
5. (UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis.

Synonyms

parrot

🦜

fop

dandy

parakeet

poll

swell

windbag

paroquet

parroket

parroquet

paraquet

poll parrot

hipster

parrakeet

poseur

spouter

Translations

Papagei

🦜

papegaai

🦜

petimetre

loro

🦜

Schönling

Stutzer

Geck

fat

dandy

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: popinjay

Cognate with Old French: papejai

Cognate with Occitan: papagai

Cognate with Catalan: papagai

In summary

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.