pop up meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

pop-up

adjalso spelled pop-up

/ˈpɒpʌp/

Etymology Deverbal from pop up.

Coming into view suddenly from a concealed position.

I packed a pop-up hamper in my suitcase.

Opening out to form a three-dimensional structure when the page of a book is opened.

[…] I had a pop-up book of sexual organs by the time I was four –[…]1985, Margaret Atwood, “Night”, in The Handmaid’s Tale, Toronto, Ont.: McClelland and Stewart, →ISBN, page 155:

Operating or existing for a brief period only; temporary.

But then this is essentially a pop-up team, glued into place brilliantly, with certain parts already chafing and smoking. Chelsea’s two top goalscorers could be off in a month, Diego Costa to cause an international incident in China, [Eden] Hazard to the usual summer suspects.2017 May 13, Barney Ronay, “Antonio Conte’s brilliance has turned Chelsea’s pop-up team into champions”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:

Government, Military, Politics, War Employing the cold launch technique.

Derived terms: pop-up book, pop-up shop, pop-up store

pop-up

noun

Etymology Deverbal from pop up.

Internet A pop-up advertisement; an advertisement that is triggered to appear on a computer screen when the user accesses a particular web page.

Ball games, Baseball, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A pop-up ball: a ball that has been hit to a considerable height above the infield or the shallow outfield; a pop fly.

A folded paper element which pops up from a book, greeting card, etc.

A business that opens for a brief temporary period only, such as a temporary restaurant.

Pop-ups often charge restaurant prices, but without advance menus, quality control, health-inspected facilities or professional service. Bring cash and arrive early: most pop-ups don't accept credit cards, and popular dishes run out fast.2012, Sam Benson, Alison Bing, Coastal California, Lonely Planet:
Ms. Setti recently had to close her bar after a change of management at the food hall that housed it. But she plans to launch several pop-ups and hopes to find a new permanent space by the middle of the year, she said.2023 February 15, John Eligon, “Exploring South Africa’s Black Wine Scene”, in The New York Times:

1 more example

I came across this recipe when Helen Graham cooked it for Bracia and Friends, a pop-up whose USP is that chefs must cook a single dish.2024 July 13, Harriet Fitch Little, “A reimagined classic”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 19:

Synonyms: banner, callout, flyout, flyover, modal, overlay, pop-up, popover
Derived terms: pop-up advertisement
Related terms: ground ball, fly ball, line drive

pop up

verb

To come up with a "pop" sound.

The toast is in the toaster - when it pops up it will be ready.

Idiomatic, Informal To appear without warning.

I can't remember where I left my keys, but they normally pop up somewhere.
Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion."2013 June 21, Chico Harlan, “Japan pockets the subsidy …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 30:

(Of an alert, advertisement, etc.) To suddenly appear onscreen.

[…]where you should put the disclaimer for software (somewhere that the user sees it when they start the program, tho' I wouldn't do that, just put it in the 'about' box like the mpgn.com guy suggests -- otherwise, having something pop up makes it annoyware, IMHO).1994 September 8, Kendall Bullen, “COPYRIGHT POLICY”, in rec.games.frp (Usenet):

To display as an alert, advertisement, etc. that suddenly appears on screen.

My computer just popped up a warning about Internet security.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for pop-up and pop up.