popinjay

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŏʹpĭnjā, IPA^(key): /ˈpɒpɪndʒeɪ/
• enPR: päʹpĭnjā', IPA^(key): /ˈpɑpənˌdʒeɪ/

Noun

popinjay (plural popinjays)

1. (now archaic) A parrot. [from 14th c.]
2. (obsolete) A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc. [14th-16th c.]
3. (heraldry) A heraldic representation of a parrot. [from 15th c.]
4. A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial. [from 16th c.]
5. (archery) A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage. [from 16th c.]
6. (UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis. [from 19th c.]

Translations

parrot — see parrot

decorative image of a parrot

• Finnish: papukaija (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

heraldic representation of a parrot

• Finnish: papukaija (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

vain, gaudy person

• Arabic: سَطْحِيّ m (saṭḥiyy), سَطْحِيَّة f (saṭḥiyya)
• Dutch: windbuil (nl), verwaand heerschap, kwastl
• Finnish: pintaliitäjä
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: конте n (konte), гиздавец m (gizdavec)
• Russian: фат (ru) (fat), щёголь (ru) (ščógolʹ)
• Spanish: pisaverde (es), gomoso (es)

archery: target to shoot at

• Dutch: gaai (nl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: papukaija (fi) (rare); maali (fi)

Picus viridis — see green woodpecker