Overlays & Surfaces
Popover
also known as pop-over
A popover is a lightweight overlay that opens next to (anchored to) a trigger like a button or icon, usually pointing at it. Unlike a tooltip it can hold rich content and interactive controls (links, buttons, small forms). It's non-modal, doesn't block the page, and typically closes with a 'light dismiss' when you click outside it.
See it live — shadcn/ui · MUI · Ant Design
Don't confuse it with
A popover is triggered by click and can contain interactive elements; a tooltip is hover-triggered and holds only brief non-interactive text. Unlike a modal, a popover is non-blocking and lightweight. Unlike a dropdown/context menu, a popover holds arbitrary content, not just a list of commands.
In the wild
Clicking a color swatch in Figma opens a popover with the full color picker.