popcorn

plural popcorns · alternative pop-corn · alternative popped corn

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

   3. countablerareA piece of popcorn.

      She keeps dropping her popcorns.

      5 more examples

      Some popcorns silently flicked off like face peelings on his shoe.

      1988, Jim Freedman, “I-ran Sucks”, in Drawing Heat, Windsor, Ont.: Black Moss Press, →ISBN, page 17

      Don’t you feel this is nothing but throwing popcorns before a hungry elephant? This is definitely throwing popcorns before the hungry elephant. This is the imbalance that I wanted to pointed out.

      1992 March 16, Shri Anbarasu Era, quotee, Lok Sabha Debates (English Version): Third Session (Tenth Lok Sabha), 10th series, volume IX, number 16, New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat, →OCLC, column 714

      Sarani threw a few popcorns into her mouth.

      2010 February 11, Sripali Vaiamon, “Conflicts in Religions and a Tidal Wave”, in The Therapy: A Novel, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 271

      The boat lurches through choppy waves with resonating booms, tourists chatter with excitement, and the woman throwing popcorns squeals whenever our seagull guards reappear, ready for the next assault.

      2012, Edmond Manning, chapter 3, in King Perry, Miami, Fla.: Dreamspinner Press, →ISBN, page 35

      “Blah, kiss her you fool!” an annoyingly familiar voice yelled from the door as he threw a handful of popcorns at us.

      2021, Samya Khanna, “Hershey’s and Love”, in Kulsum Yasmin, compiler, Shades of Moon, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh: Rosewood Publication, ASIN B09LHW7NN5, page 224

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

   4. attributivebroadlycountableuncountableA bite-size food preparation made by battering and deep-frying one or more ingredients, most often chicken.

      popcorn chicken

      1 more example

      Last night we had popcorn chicken.

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

   5. attributivecountablefigurativelyuncountableEntertainment that is, or has the potential to be, popular but is vapid and provides little intellectual or artistic merit.

      popcorn movies

      1 more example

      The movie was entertaining enough, but it was just popcorn entertainment.

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

   6. countablefigurativelyhumorousuncountableEntertainment for observers.

      If they get in a fight, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the popcorn.

      1 more example

      And not at all about how a state picks which group of electors to send, which is the whole basis of the NaPoVoInterCo plan, and will yield plenty more Supreme Court popcorn if it ever gets enacted.

      2020 July 10, CGP Grey, 3:55 from the start, in Supreme Court Rules on Faithless Electors in the Electoral College

      Synonyms: maizypop, popmaize

2. countableuncountablebusinessA kind of stitch similar to a bobble.

   From the top the sample shows four stitch popcorns, five stitch bobbles, two rows of bells and a central leaf with leaves sloping to the left and right each side.

   2008, Claire Compton, Sue Whiting, The Knitting and Crochet Bible, page 45

3. attributivecountableuncountableA form of brainstorming in which participants call out their ideas immediately, instead of waiting for an assigned turn to speak.

   Ask: What Twitter-style hashtag characterizes our community? (Use popcorn brainstorming to elicit responses.)

   2022, Jill Harrison Berg, Uprooting Instructional Inequity, page 155

   2 more examples

   With the "popcorn" method, all team members in the session spontaneously call out ideas and a facilitator writes them on a flip chart.

   2002, Betsi Harris Ehrlich, Transactional Six Sigma and Lean Servicing, page 161

   As a way to begin the discussion about God's will, you might want to ask the group to do some "popcorn" brainstorming about the pros and cons of believing that everything that happens is God's will.

   2011, Carolyn Jane Bohler, God the What?

4. countableuncountableA slow Belgian style of soul music popular in the early 1960s.
5. countableuncountableA Romanian style of Europop popular in the late 2000s.
6. countableuncountableA jump straight up with all four feet off the ground.

present singular third person popcorns · participle present popcorning · participle past popcorned · past popcorned · alternative pop-corn · alternative popped corn

1. To stand or jump up quickly.

   1 more example

   Popcorning behavior is a fun sight—as long as you know what it is. Otherwise, it can scare you. During this action a pig runs around very fast and suddenly leaps straight up in the air, twitching and squeaking. It then lands and takes off again, often in another direction. This activity shows pure joy. Babies start to popcorn when they are about two weeks old or so—they may try it earlier, but they usually fall down instead.

   2000, Dale L. Sigler, A Grown-up's Guide to Guinea Pigs, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 58

2. To pop repeatedly, like popcorn cooking.
3. rarebusinessTo use the popcorn stitch.

   You've been cabling, twisting, popcorning and bobbling. See, we told you that they weren't so hard.

   2008, Leisure Arts, I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Cables, page 9