popper

noun

pop·​per ˈpä-pər 

1

: one that pops

especially : a utensil for popping corn

2

slang : a vial of amyl nitrite or butyl nitrite used illicitly as an inhalational aphrodisiac

Examples of popper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the restaurants his family frequented was a place called Julio’s, in Artesia, south of L.A., which offered pizza with Indian toppings, and appetizers such as desi poppers and masala wings. —Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025

Fried to a golden brown, the bite-sized poppers are creamy on the inside, crunchy on the outside. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025

Nevertheless, Kennedy has lent credence to the unsupported theory that poppers caused AIDS. —Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025

In a 2010 interview with the AV Club, Atherton revealed that the studio had six ten-foot-high air poppers devoted to popping popcorn all day for three months, filling a massive storage tank. —ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for popper

• chopper
• copper
• cropper
• dropper
• pauper
• proper
• shopper
• stopper
• topper
• whopper
• eavesdropper
• grasshopper

Kids Definition

popper

noun

pop·​per ˈpäp-ər 

: one that pops

especially : a utensil for popping corn

Medical Definition

popper

noun

pop·​per ˈpäp-ər 

slang

: a vial of amyl nitrite or butyl nitrite especially when used illicitly as an inhalational aphrodisiac