popinjay, n. [OE. popingay, papejay, OF. papegai, papegaut; cf. Pr. papagai, Sp. & Pg. papagayo, It. pappagallo, LGr. , NGr. ; in which the first syllables are perhaps imitative of the bird's chatter, and the last either fr. L. gallus cock, or the same word as E. jay, F. geai. Cf. Papagay.].

The green woodpecker. [1913 Webster]
"The pye and popyngay speak they know not what." [1913 Webster]
A target in the form of a parrot. [1913 Webster]
A trifling, chattering, fop or coxcomb. Shak. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

popinjay, n.
1 a fop, a conceited person, a coxcomb.
2 a archaic a parrot. b hist. a figure of a parrot on a pole as a mark to shoot at.

Etymology

ME f. AF papeiaye, OF papingay etc. f. Sp. papagayo f. Arab. babaga: assim. to JAY

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