Definition

1. Adjective (chiefly dialectal or poetic):
   • Characterized by ripples or small waves: "popply" describes a surface, particularly water, that is marked by a series of small, choppy, or undulating waves. It often conveys a sense of agitation or lively movement on the water's surface.

Usage Examples

• (The water surface showed small, rippling waves.)
• (The estuary had a choppy, wave-ridden surface.)
• (The sea was rough with small waves.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be popply": to exhibit a state of being covered in small, irregular waves.
  • After the storm passed, the harbour remained popply for hours. (The water continued to have small, choppy waves.)
• "a popply surface": a description of any liquid or flexible material that appears rippled or undulating.
  • The molten glass cooled into a popply texture, like frozen waves. (The glass surface had a wavy, rippled appearance.)

Variants and Related Words

• Popple (verb): to rise and fall in small waves; to ripple.
  • The stream poppled over the stones. (The water rippled and bubbled as it flowed.)
• Popple (noun): a small, choppy wave or ripple.
  • The popples on the pond reflected the sunlight. (The small waves on the pond.)

Synonyms

• Ripply: having many small waves.
• Choppy: formed of short, broken, irregular waves (often of water).
• Undulating: moving in waves or having a wavy form.
• Rough: having a broken or uneven surface (in the context of water, meaning agitated).

Related Idioms

• "in a popply state": a descriptive phrase for water that is agitated with small waves.
  • The river was in a popply state after the heavy rain. (The river was choppy and restless.)

Notes on Usage

• Dialectal and Poetic: "Popply" is a rare, dialectal, or poetic word, most commonly found in descriptions of water or landscapes in literature or regional speech. It is not used in formal or technical contexts.