popinjay

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.

popinjay (plural popinjays)

(now archaic outside heraldry) A parrot. [from 14th c.; in heraldry from 15th c.]
- 1555, Peter Martyr of Angleria [i.e., Peter Martyr d’Anghiera], “The Nynth Booke of the Seconde Decade, of the Supposed Continent”, in Rycharde Eden [i.e., Richard Eden], transl., The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, […], London: […] [Rycharde Jug for] Guilhelmi Powell, →OCLC, 2nd decade, folio 83, recto:
  [I]nnumerable popingayes of ſundry kindes are found chattering in the groues of thoſe fenny places.
(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
- 1881, Alfred Ayres [pseudonym; Thomas Embly Osmun], “Nicely”, in The Verbalist‎:
  The very quintessence of popinjay vulgarity is reached when nicely is made to do service for well, in this wise: "How do you do?" "Nicely." "How are you?" "Nicely."
(archery) A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage. [from 16th c.]
(UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis. [from 19th c.]

parrot — see parrot

decorative image of a parrot

heraldic representation of a parrot

vain, gaudy person

archery: target to shoot at

Picus viridis — see green woodpecker