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.

• (UK) enPR: pŏʹpĭnjā, IPA^(key): /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/
• (US) enPR: päʹpĭnjā', IPA^(key): /ˈpɑpənˌd͡ʒeɪ/

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popinjay (plural popinjays)

1. (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.

2. (obsolete) A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc. [14th–16th c.]
3. (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^[1]:

     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."

4. (archery) A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage. [from 16th c.]
5. (UK) The green woodpecker, Picus viridis. [from 19th c.]