popcorn

What it means

1. uncountableA snack food made from corn or maize kernels popped by dry heating.

   My friends and I ordered popcorn during the interval of the movie.

   Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

   1. uncountableA variety of corn or maize with a hard outer hull that, along with the type of starch it contains, makes it suitable for popping.

      That farm grows popcorn.

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize, popmaize

   2. countableA serving of popcorn.

      I'll have a small popcorn.

      3 more examples

      Warner Bros has offered the two executives less than dollars 1m as an out-of-court settlement, a sum dismissed by Mr [Pierce] O'Donnell as 'two popcorns and two Cokes'.

      1992 July 5, Phil Reeves, “Kerpow] Dynamic duo takes on Tinseltown”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Jul 2015

      When we went to Astoria, to see 'Drive Me Crazy,' they gave you one popcorn and the other one was free. I asked her if she wanted to eat mine, but she said there was so much popcorn, she was going to get sick.

      2000 January 7, Aaron Donovan, quoting Angel, “The Neediest Cases: A ‘Big Sister’ Is Filling a Void in a Young Girl’s Life”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 May 2015

      Every Wednesday night is Date Night, and for $10 sweethearts can get two tickets, two popcorns and two sodas.

      2006 July 13, Amanda Pennington, “A new wave for cineastes”, in Daily Pilot, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2025

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

In a sentence

My friends and I ordered popcorn during the interval of the movie.

Where it comes from

Short for popped corn. By surface analysis, pop + corn.