popcorn
n. uncountablen. a snack made from corn that pops open and gets fluffy when you heat it. You usually eat it while watching a movie.
n. a variety of corn with hard kernels that swell and burst open when heated. Often used metaphorically in digital contexts to describe the act of watching a public argument or drama for entertainment.
I always buy a large popcorn at the cinema.
We sat on the sofa with a big bowl of salty popcorn and started the movie.
The online debate became so heated that bystanders began posting images of popcorn to signal they were merely there to enjoy the spectacle.
Short for popped corn. By surface analysis, pop + corn.
Uncountable when referring to the snack in general; countable only when referring to individual popped kernels.
- 01
grab the popcorn
Used to express anticipated enjoyment from watching a conflict or argument developing between other people, as if one were being entertained at the movies.
- 02
popcorn movie
A motion picture without serious dramatic content, a weighty message, or intellectual depth, which serves simply as enjoyable entertainment.