Poppers

noun, slang

noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Drugs of the alkyl nitrate class used recreationally as a sexual stimulant, especially among gay men. informal, uncountable

    "Have I been doing too much poppers?"

  2. 2
    plural of popper form-of, plural

    "Poppers are used commonly during social events such as dancing and for muscle relaxation during sex. Poppers are most commonly used in the lesbian and gay population , but have been experimented with by others as well."

Example

More examples

"I need to stop and get some poppers."

Etymology

Amyl nitrites were originally sold in small glass ampoules wrapped in cloth. Recreational users would crush or "pop" these vials between their fingers to release their vapours, which is thought to be the origin of the slang term.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.