popcorn

popcorn — noun

1. corn kernels heated so they pop into light white pieces that people eat as a sna

1.nounB1
Definition

corn kernels heated so they pop into light white pieces that people eat as a snack, often sweet or with salt and butter

Example

Mina shared buttery popcorn with her cousins during the baseball game.

collocation: buttery popcorn

A warm smell of popcorn filled the theater lobby before noon.

Common collocations
  • buttered popcorn
  • salted popcorn
  • fresh popcorn
  • a bucket of popcorn
Synonyms
  • popped corn

    a literal phrase, used less often than popcorn

  • kettle corn

    a sweeter style of popcorn, so it is only a partial match

  • caramel corn

    popcorn covered with caramel, not the general term

Grammar Patterns

a bag/bowl/bucket of popcorn

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the food in general. To count it, learners normally use container words such as bag, bowl, or bucket.

Common Mistakes

We bought two popcorns for the movie.
We bought two bags of popcorn for the movie.
'popcorn' is usually uncountable when you mean the food in general.

2. entertainment such as movies or TV shows that is easy to enjoy but not very seri

2.nounC1
Definition

entertainment such as movies or TV shows that is easy to enjoy but not very serious, thoughtful, or artistic

Example

The new game show is popcorn for tired commuters after work.

figurative noun for easy entertainment

After finals, Nora watched pure popcorn instead of another dark drama.

collocation: pure popcorn

Common collocations
  • pure popcorn
  • summer popcorn
  • glossy popcorn
  • popcorn entertainment
Synonyms
Antonyms

Usage Note

Often used by reviewers and fans with a mildly dismissive tone. Distinguish from adjective 1, which describes a movie or show before a following noun.

popcorn — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Popcorn is the normal general word for this snack. Popped corn is a more literal phrase, and learners will see it far less often in everyday English. Kettle corn and caramel corn are not full synonyms: both name specific sweet styles of popcorn, so they cannot replace popcorn in every context. If you ask for popcorn at a cinema, you mean the basic snack in general, not one special sweet type. A useful memory point is this: popcorn is the wide category, while kettle corn and caramel corn are narrower kinds inside that category. You can say, 'We bought popcorn before the film,' but 'We bought caramel corn before the film' only works if that exact sweet kind is meant.

popped cornkettle corncaramel corn

Etymology

English

This word was formed in English from pop and corn. The first part refers to the sharp bursting sound made when the kernels open under heat, and the second part names maize. It first referred to the corn that opens this way and then to the snack itself. The later figurative uses compare light entertainment with easy snack food.