ˈpoppy-seed
1. a. The, or a, seed of the poppy. Esp. the seed of cultivated varieties of Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, used as a flavouring, filling, or garnish for cakes, bread, etc.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 579 Now popy seed in grounde is good to throwe. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 149 A cold oil is drawn from White-Poppy Seeds. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VI. 315 Swellings, varying in size from a poppy-seed to a pea. 1932 L. Golding Magnolia St. i. viii. 127 The special bread sprinkled with poppy-seed for the Sabbath repast. 1947 F. Greenberg Cookery Bk. 382 Brush over with beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and bake..about 50 minutes. 1978 Observer (Colour Suppl.) 3 Dec. 81/2 For poppy seeds, you have to go to the delicatessen, and be prepared to grind them at home in an electric coffee mill. |
b. fig. (
Cf. poppy n. 5.)
| 1640 Erotomania 40 The eyes of his soule are brought asleep by the Poppy seed of Inconsideration and Carelesnesse. |
† 2. Formerly used as a measure of length, varying from
1/
12 to
1/
20 of an inch. (
Cf. barley-corn 3.)
| 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. iii. 136/2 Barly Corn, is the length of 4 Poppy seeds, and 3 Corns make an Inch. 1729 G. Shelvocke Artillery i. 76 The Barley-corn (the fourth part of an Inch) is subdivided into 5 Poppy Seeds. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
poppy-seed cake,
poppy-seed cookie,
poppy-seed roll;
poppy-seed oil = poppy oil (
poppy n. 8).
| 1943 A. L. Simon Conc. Encycl. Gastron. iv. 100/1 (heading) Poppy-seed Cake. 1976 ‘B. Shelby’ Great Pebble Affair 134 The religious group..supported themselves by..baking poppy seed cakes. |
| 1959 Tamarack Rev. Summer 7 Hey, poppyseed cookies! Real stuffed fish! |
| 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. IV. 832 A peculiar small poppy-seed-like growth. |
| 1893 G. Terry Pigments, Paint, & Painting xi. 305 Poppy-seed Oils.—Oil is yielded by the seeds of three kinds of poppy—the opium-poppy (Papaver somniferum), the spiny-poppy (Argemone mexicana), and the yellow⁓horn poppy (Glaucium luteum). 1942 Gettens & Stout Painting Materials 50 The cold-drawn oil is pale straw..in colour and is the ‘white poppy-seed oil’ of commerce. 1974 G. Usher Dict. Plants used by Man 438/1 The seeds [of the opium poppy]..have some 44–50 per cent oil (Poppy Seed Oil). |
| 1973 Listener 20 Sept. 377/2 Tea was served by Auntie Golda.., smoked salmon on black bread, poppy-seed rolls coated with cream cheese. |