Dictionary

popple en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɒpl̩/

Etymology

From Middle English popul, popil, from Old English popul, from Latin populus.

Meanings

1. (dialectal) poplar
   • Some of them had recently built a pulp mill, and he called my attention to the young growths of "popple" we could see from the car window and remarked: "There's good pulp material in those trees, but it's not easy to get 'em cut. You'll strike lots of Catholic lumber-jacks who won't have anything to do with cutting a popple tree, and they won't cross a bridge or sleep in a house that has popple wood in it. There's a tradition that the cross on which Christ was crucified was of popple, and they say the wood was cursed on that account. 1911, Highways and byways of the Great Lakes, The Macmillan company, page 264:

Forms

popple en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɒpl̩/

Etymology

From Middle English poplen, possibly from Middle Dutch, of imitative origin.

Meanings

1. Choppy water; the motion or sound of agitated water (as from boiling or wind).
   • Commander Birch was a trifle uneasy when he found there was more than a popple on the sea; it was, in fact, distinctly choppy. 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 17, in Well Tackled!:

Forms

popple en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɒpl̩/

Etymology

From Middle English poplen, possibly from Middle Dutch, of imitative origin.

Meanings

1. Of water, to move in a choppy, bubbling, or tossing manner.
2. To move quickly up and down; to bob up and down, like a cork on rough water.
   • His Brains came poppling out like Water 1675, Charles Cotton, Burlesque upon Burlesque:

Forms

Deriveds

popply