- pop (n.1)
- "a hit with an explosive sound," c.1400, of imitative origin. Verb sense of "to cause to make a sudden explosive sound" is attested from 1595; sense of "to appear or put suddenly" (often with up, off, in, etc.) is recorded from 1443, from the noun. Meaning "flavored carbonated beverage" is from 1812.
"A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn." [Southey, letter, 1812]
Baseball sense of "to hit a ball high in the air" is from 1867. Sense of "ice cream on a stick" is from 1923 (see popsicle). To pop the question is from 1725, specific sense of "propose marriage" is from 1826. Popcorn is first attested 1819. Pop-eyed "having bulging eyes" is recorded from 1820. Pop-gun as a type of child's toy is from 1622. Pop-over "light cake" is from 1876. Pop goes the weasel, a country dance, was popular 1850s at court balls, etc. - pop (adj., n.)
- "having popular appeal," 1926, of individual songs from many genres; 1954 as a genre of its own; abbreviation of popular (q.v.), earlier as a shortened form of popular concert (1862), often in the plural form pops. Pop art first recorded 1957, said to have been in use conversationally among Independent group of artists from late 1954.
- pop (n.2)
- "father," 1838, chiefly Amer.Eng., shortened from papa (1681), from Fr. papa, from O.Fr., a children's word, similar to L. pappa. Form poppa is recorded from 1897.