Definition
a hard sweet on the end of a stick
Origin and usage
The word lollipop combines the word ‘loll’ or ‘lolly’, of uncertain origin but meaning ‘hang loosely’ or perhaps a localized term for the tongue, and the word ‘pop’, from the sound something makes when it is hit suddenly. In English, lollipop was first used to describe a type of sweet in 1784 but it wasn’t until the 1920s that it came to describe the specific sweet on the end of a stick as it is known today.
Examples
Lollipop is a noun that refers to a kind of hard sweet that is attached to a stick. A lollipop is generally licked or sucked on until it dissolves.
Lollipops come in a variety of shapes, colours and flavours, from classics like cherry or grape to more sophisticated kinds like sriracha or blackberry mint. Lollipops can even be made vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free.
Some lollipops hold other sweets inside, like taffy or chewing gum. Edible flowers, dried fruits or other exotic ingredients can also be added to the centre of a lollipop.
Making homemade lollipops can be fairly easy with the right tools and equipment. Hard sweets can be melted down and put in an appropriately-shaped mould with a stick and left to harden. Once the melted sweet has cooled, the lollipops can be wrapped up and stored for later or given as a gift.
Quotations
“On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache.”
(Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary.
