popper

The word "popper" is used in several everyday ways, and most of them come back to the idea of a quick pop. One common meaning is an object that pops or causes popping. A party popper is a small party item that bursts and throws out confetti or streamers. A popcorn popper is a machine or container used to make popcorn. In both cases, the sound or action is part of the meaning.

The word is also used for people and things connected with a specific action or style. In dance, a popper is a person who performs popping, a street dance style known for sudden, controlled muscle contractions that create sharp movements. In clothing, especially in British English, a popper is a snap fastener or press stud, the kind that closes with a quick click.

Food is another common area for this word. A popper is often a small, hot, bite-sized snack, especially a jalapeno popper, which is usually a stuffed jalapeno that is breaded or wrapped and then cooked. In some local uses, the word can name other small fried snacks too, but the jalapeno version is the one many learners are most likely to meet.

There is also a separate modern use that usually appears in the plural form "poppers." In that sense, it refers to alkyl nitrite inhalants used for a brief effect on the body. The singular form is less common there, but you may still see it. So depending on context, "popper" may point to a party item, a popcorn maker, a dancer, a clothing fastener, a snack, or, more rarely, one unit of what people call "poppers."