Emily Dickinson Lexicon

POP'PY, n. [Sax. popeg; W. pabi; Fr. pavot; L. papaver; It. papavero.]

A plant of the genus Papaver, of several species, from one of which, the P. somniferum or white poppy, is collected opium. This is the milky juice of the capsule when half grown, or of any other part of the plant, which exsudes from incisions in the cortical part, is scraped off, and worked in the sun's heat, till it is of a consistence to form cakes. – Encyc.