popinjay

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ, “parrot”), of imitative origin. === Pronunciation === (UK) enPR: pŏʹpĭnjā, IPA(key): /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/ (US) enPR: päʹpĭnjā', IPA(key): /ˈpɑpənˌd͡ʒeɪ/ === Noun === popinjay (plural popinjays) (now archaic outside heraldry) A parrot. [from 14th c.; in heraldry from 15th c.] (obsolete) A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc. [14th–16th c.] (dated) A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial. [from 16th c.] Synonyms: fop, macaroni, peacock; see also Thesaurus:dandy (archery) A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage. [from 16th c.] (UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis. [from 19th c.] ==== Translations ====