Popinjay

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Popinjay \Pop"in*jay\, n. [OE. popingay, papejay, OF. papegai,
     papegaut; cf. Pr. papagai, Sp. & Pg. papagayo, It.
     pappagallo, LGr. ?, NGr. ?; in which the first syllables are
     perhaps imitative of the bird's chatter, and the last either
     fr. L. gallus cock, or the same word as E. jay, F. geai. Cf.
     {Papagay}.]


     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Zool.)
        (a) The green woodpecker.
        (b) A parrot.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  The pye and popyngay speak they know not what.
                                                    --Tyndale.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A target in the form of a parrot. [Scot.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A trifling, chattering, fop or coxcomb. "To be so pestered
        with a popinjay." --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Yaffle \Yaf"fle\ (y[a^]f"f'l), n. [Probably imitative of its
     call or cry.] (Zool.)
     The European green woodpecker ({Picus viridis} syn. {Genius
     viridis}). It is noted for its loud laughlike note. Called
     also {eccle}, {hewhole}, {highhoe}, {laughing bird},
     {popinjay}, {rain bird}, {yaffil}, {yaffler}, {yaffingale},
     {yappingale}, {yackel}, and {woodhack}.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  popinjay
       n 1: a vain and talkative person (chatters like a parrot)
       2: archaic