The noun is inherited from Middle English coper, copper (“copper ore; copper metal; bronze”), from Old English coper, copor (“copper”), from Late Latin cuprum (“copper”), a contraction of Latin aes Cyprium (literally “Cyprian brass or copper”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Κῠ́προς (Kŭ́pros, “Cyprus”) (a major source of copper during the Near East’s Bronze Age), from the name of a Northwest Semitic goddess from the root כ־ב־ר/ك ب ر (k b r) (“related to being big, large; great; or old”). Doublet of kobo.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch koper (“copper”)
* German Kupfer (“copper”)
* Icelandic kopar (“copper”)
Compare typologically Argentina (< Latin argentum, an opposite semantic shift); turquoise (akin to Turk).
Meanings
Made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
Contrasting vividly with this ruin was the neat dresser, stained in the fashion, pale green, and with a number of copper and tin vessels below it, the wall-paper imitating blue and white tiles, and a couple of coolured supplements fluttering from the walls above the kitchen range. 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Under Foot”, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, book II (The Earth under the Martians), page 198:
Having the reddish-brown colour of copper.
She seemed so alive, with her shining eyes and her copper hair and her jokes and funny stories, but there was always a mystery at the center of her life, the sound of wild sobbing my mother said she heard coming through the floor. 1999, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, “Zia Concetta and Her Whalebone Corset”, in Things My Mother Told Me, Toronto, Ont.: Guernica Editions, →ISBN, page 38:
Cold and terror had produced a chance in her complexion, which now wore a yellow, or sort of copper hue. 1836, [Frederick] Marryat, “The Pirate. Chapter I. The Bay of Biscay.”, in The Pirate, and The Three Cutters. […], London: […] Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, →OCLC, page 4:
All in a hot and copper sky, / The bloody Sun, at noon, / Right up above the mast did stand, / No bigger than the Moon. 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:
de kupfern (made of copper) · ro arămiu (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · ia de cupro (made of copper) · de küpfern (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · yi קופּערן (made of copper) · es cobrizo (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · la aēnus (made of copper) · uk мі́дно-черво́ний (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · te రాగి (made of copper) · pt de cobre (made of copper) · uk мі́дний (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · nl koperkleurig (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · ja 銅製 (made of copper) · ca courenc (made of copper) · fi vaskinen (made of copper) · ia cuprose (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · la aereus (made of copper) · scn ramatu (made of copper) · bg бакърен (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · nl koperen (made of copper) · grc χαλκοφανής (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · el χάλκινος (made of copper) · vi đồng (made of copper) · uk мі́дний (made of copper) · fr cuivré (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · ro din cupru (made of copper) · pt cor-de-cobre (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · sk medenej farby (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · rm d'arom (made of copper) · bg ме́ден (made of copper) · ru ме́дно-кра́сный (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · be спіжарны (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · br kouevr (made of copper) · la aēneus (made of copper) · br kouevrek (made of copper) · de kupferfarbig (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · grc χάλκεος (made of copper) · be спіжарны (made of copper) · gd umhach (made of copper) · sw shaba (made of copper) · de küpfern (made of copper) · fi kuparinen (made of copper) · el χάλκινος (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · grc χάλκειος (made of copper) · cs měděný (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · bg ме́ден (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · fi kuparinruskea (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · bg бакърен (made of copper) · la aerārius (made of copper) · pt cobreado (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · sk medený (made of copper) · sq bakërt (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · yi קופּערדיק (made of copper) · ru ме́дный (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · fa مسی (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · ru цве́та ме́ди (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · eo kupra (made of copper) · sq bakërt (made of copper) · de kupfern (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · pt cúprico (made of copper) · pl miedziany (made of copper) · grc χαλκοειδής (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · fa مسی (made of copper) · cs měděný (made of copper) · sw shaba (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · fa مسین (made of copper) · fi kuparinvärinen (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · de kupferfarben (having the reddish-brown colour of copper) · ru ме́дный (made of copper) · ia cuprose (made of copper) · la cupreus (made of copper)
The noun is inherited from Middle English coper, copper (“copper ore; copper metal; bronze”), from Old English coper, copor (“copper”), from Late Latin cuprum (“copper”), a contraction of Latin aes Cyprium (literally “Cyprian brass or copper”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Κῠ́προς (Kŭ́pros, “Cyprus”) (a major source of copper during the Near East’s Bronze Age), from the name of a Northwest Semitic goddess from the root כ־ב־ר/ك ب ر (k b r) (“related to being big, large; great; or old”). Doublet of kobo.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch koper (“copper”)
* German Kupfer (“copper”)
* Icelandic kopar (“copper”)
Compare typologically Argentina (< Latin argentum, an opposite semantic shift); turquoise (akin to Turk).
Meanings
(uncountable) A reddish-brown metallic chemical element (symbol Cu) with the atomic number 29; also, the metal made up of this element.
Through the clear smooth water her copper shone brightly; […] 1836, [Frederick] Marryat, “The Pirate. Chapter VII. Sleeper's Bay.”, in The Pirate, and The Three Cutters. […], London: […] Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, →OCLC, page 61:
In the Siberian Traps crustal contamination of mantle magmas is seen to cause the segregation of large volumes of sulfide, which host giant deposits of nickel, copper, and platinum group metals in associated intrusions. 2015, Peter R. Hooper, “Flood Basalt Provinces”, in Haraldur Sigurdsson, editor, Encyclopedia of Volcanoes, 2nd edition, San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, →ISBN, part II (Eruption), page 355, column 2:
Men talke much […] of the Philoſophers ſtone, that it turneth copper into gold; […] 1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC:
[Donald] Trump's July 8 announcement of a 50% tariff on copper imports beginning August 1 sent prices surging 13% in one day, up to a record high of $5.69 per pound. 2025 July 17, John Towfighi, “Copper Prices have Surged to Record Highs – and They could Jump Higher. Here’s Why”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 05 Feb 2026:
(broadly, uncountable) The reddish-brown colour of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
Near-synonyms: chestnut, russet
(broadly, countable) The reddish-brown colour of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1). ▸ In full copper butterfly: any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings, especially those of the genera Lycaena and Paralucia.
(broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
Coppers are generally good for a year, if the battery is carefully attended; they should, however, be removed before they have increased to such a size that their removal might cause the destruction of the glass jars. 1885 December, “Main Batteries”, in General Rules and Regulations Applicable to All Employes of the Chicago and Grand Trunk R[ailwa]y Company, Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee R’y, and Railways Operated by Them, Detroit, Mich.: General Offices [of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway Company, and Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway Company], →OCLC, page 33:
When new battery coppers are received, they should be placed where they will not be exposed to extreme heat, or to the sun, whether they are in a box or not. […] Coppers are not consumed, and their life depends largely on the manner in which they are used. 1907 April 20, J. C. Barclay, “Instructions for the Care of Callaud Batteries”, in Journal of the Telegraph, volume XL, number 646, New York, N.Y.: [Western Union Telegraph Company], →ISSN, →OCLC, page 37, columns 1–2:
Every millwright should have some soldering tools, and he ought to know how to use them. […] Coppers weighing one pound each are the smallest ever needed in a paper mill, and one 2-pound copper should be bought also. […] Having made the solder and bought "coppers," the first job is to tin them. Some coppers come already tinned. I didn't buy mine, so they surely were not tinned. 1890 August, “Some Soldering Kinks”, in William H. Wahl, editor, The Manufacturer and Builder: A Practical Journal of Industrial Progress, volume XXII, number 8, New York, N.Y.: Henri Gerard, →OCLC, page 183, column 1:
(broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item. ▸ A copper mug used for drinking alcoholic beverages.
[H]e slid down from his seat, and darted into the public house, reappearing in a few moments with a copper of ale and a horn in his hand: he and another man held open the horses' mouths, and poured the ale through the horn down their throats. 1812, [Maria] Edgeworth, “The Absentee. Chapter XIII.”, in Tales of Fashionable Life (2nd series), volume VI, London: […] [Heney] for J[oseph] Johnson and Co., […], →OCLC, page 238:
(broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item. ▸ A copper sheet on which an image or writing is engraved.
[H]e went to sleep, taking first out of his pocket a book,[…]. It proved to be my old favorite author, [John] Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in Dutch, finely printed on good paper, with copper cuts, a dress better than I had ever seen it wear in its own language. 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, pages 107–108:
(broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item. ▸ A coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper and now chiefly of other metals such as bronze; specifically, an English or British penny or halfpenny; also, a United States cent; (uncountable) coins made of copper collectively.
"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." / "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal.[…]." 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “In the Bay of Biscay”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 16:
Light VVenches may proue plagues to men forſ[w]orne, / If ſo our Copper byes no better treaſure. c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], signature F3, verso:
I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he [the preacher George Whitefield] proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. […] [H]e finish'd so admirably, that I empty'd my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all. 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 3]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 255:
I remember the time when rascally company were kept out, and the unlucky boys with toys and balls were whipped away by a beadle. I have seen this done indeed of late, but then it has been only to chase away the lads from chuck, that the beadle might seize their copper. 1712 October 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “MONDAY, October 14, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 509; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 501:
[O]ne feels a difficulty in offering a princess the change for a shilling in coppers. 1876, [Walter Besant, James Rice], chapter V, in The Golden Butterfly. […], volume III, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 83:
(US, broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item. ▸ A coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper and now chiefly of other metals such as bronze; specifically, an English or British penny or halfpenny; also, a United States cent; (uncountable) coins made of copper collectively. ▸ In the game of faro: originally a copper coin, now usually a small disc or token, placed on a playing card to indicate that a player bets against that card.
(Australia, UK, broadly, countable, dated) Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item. ▸ A large pot, originally made of copper but later often of iron, filled with water and heated over a fire for cooking, washing clothes, etc.
When the water in the copper boils, the arſenic and tartar, vvell pounded, is put into it, and kept boiling till the liquor is reduced to about half. 1789, Le Pileur d’Apligny, “[Of the Dying of Cotton Thread.] Of Red.”, in [Jean] Hellot, [Pierre-Joseph] Macquer, Le Pileur d’Apligny, translated by [anonymous], The Art of Dying Wool, Silk, and Cotton. […], London: […] R. Baldwin, […], →OCLC, part III (The Art of Dying Cotton and Linen Thread together with the Method of Stamping Silks, Cottons, &c.), page 497:
You had better mind you don't get up too early, and you mustn't put any fire under the copper before two o'clock. 1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], translated by H. L. Brækstad, Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC, page 6:
The wet laundry's stove had a long vent in the ceiling which helped to release the steam from the coppers in which the clothes and bed linen were boiled. 2000, Christopher Christie, “Furnishing the Country House”, in The British Country House in the Eighteenth Century, Manchester; New York, N.Y.: Manchester University Press, →ISBN, page 266:
He rose to his knees, for he had been sitting in the darkness near the copper. 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Death of the Curate”, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, book II (The Earth under the Martians), page 230:
Mum would heat the water in a copper in the kitchen and transfer it to the tin bath.
Socks can’t be boiled up in the copper with the sheets and towels or they shrink.
'Vot game now she play?' he asked himself, as he distinguished his wife near one of the pig-scalding coppers. 1907, Barbara Baynton, “Human Toll. Chapter 13.”, in Sally Krimmer, Alan Lawson, editors, Barbara Baynton: Bush Studies, Other Stories, Human Toll, Verse Essays and Letters (Portable Australian Authors), St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, →ISBN, page 254:
But the chiefeſt of their buſineſs vvas to get Coppers; for each Ship having novv ſo many Men, our Pots vvould not boil Victuals faſt enough, though vve kept them boiling all the day. About 2 or 3 days after they return aboard vvith 3 Coppers. 1697, William Dampier, chapter VII, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, pages 199–200:
[W]hat can you expect from officers who boil their 'tators in a cabbage-net hanging in the ship's coppers, when they know that there is one-third of a stove allowed them to cook their victuals on? 1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter XIV, in Peter Simple. […], volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 224:
gez ናሕስ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg мед (reddish-brown colour of copper) · orh gɛ꞉yin (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · hy պղինձ (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · tcy താംബ്ര (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sc ràmini (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · chr ᎥᏣᏱ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · uk мідь (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · af koper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sk medená (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ca coure (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ar نحاس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kw kobrek (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ja カッパー (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ain フレカネ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kw cober (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg бакър (any of various specialized items made of copper) · nb kobber (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · scn ramu (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rgn râm (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl koperen (any of various specialized items made of copper) · la cyprum (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · xmf ლინჯი (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ab абҩа (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ml ചെമ്പ് (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bo ཟངས (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · it rame (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ms tembaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · gag bakır (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kjh пағыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg ме́дна ча́ша (copper mug used for drinking alcoholic beverages) · wym köpfer (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sk meď (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mrw tombaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl ketel (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · be медзь (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pms aram (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru чугу́н (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · ny mkuwa (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ur تانبا (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ifk galamat (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · el χάλκινο νόμισμα (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · ru медь (reddish-brown colour of copper) · sv koppar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · chr ᏣᏱ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lo ທອງແດງ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · aht tsedi (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pa ਤਾਂਬਾ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fa مسی (any of various specialized items made of copper) · is kopar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sh бакар (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · hy պղնձե (any of various specialized items made of copper) · gd copar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · dv ރަތުލޯ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rsk бакар (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq bakërt (any of various specialized items made of copper) · he נחושת (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vi đồng (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kuparimuki (copper mug used for drinking alcoholic beverages) · ia cuprose (reddish-brown colour of copper) · jv tembaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vec rame (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lv kapars (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nn kopar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tcy ತಾಂಬ್ರ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru ме́дный (reddish-brown colour of copper) · cy copr (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru цвет ме́ди (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ia cupro (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tyv хола (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · za doengz (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fo kopar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · crh baqır (any of various specialized items made of copper) · pt cor de cobre (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ca coure (reddish-brown colour of copper) · got 𐌰𐌹𐌶 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru медя́к (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · kum багъыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq bakërt (reddish-brown colour of copper) · aa naxas (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl koper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ota باقر (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · mi konukura (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tr bakır kelebeği (any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings) · gu તાંબું (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tr bakır rengi (reddish-brown colour of copper) · hi ताम्र (any of various specialized items made of copper) · bh ताँमा (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tg мис (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lzz ლიჯი (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mk ба́кар (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sh bakar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ba еҙ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cop ϧⲁⲗⲕⲓⲛ (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · mnc ᡤᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · eo kupro (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mn зэс (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sa ताम्रक (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bn তামা (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · wym köpper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tpw itaîunema (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mns-nor аргин (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · krc жез (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cdo 銅 /铜 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tl tanso (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ps مس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sl baker (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lb Koffer (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rm aram (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mel tebagak (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sc arràmini (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · da kobber (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ka სპილენძი (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ff sila (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kuparilevy (copper sheet on which an image or writing is engraved) · ca coure (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · hy պղինձ (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · bg мед (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru ме́дно-кра́сный (reddish-brown colour of copper) · hu réz (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kaw tambaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rm arom (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sw shaba (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · cop ϩⲟⲙⲧ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ug مىس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi vaski (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rif nnḥas (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vi đồng (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · rup aramã (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi pata (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · br kouevr (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lij rammo (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cjs чес (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ne ताम्र (any of various specialized items made of copper) · cs měděná (reddish-brown colour of copper) · gl cobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nn kåppår (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · csb kòper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · gd umhach (any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings) · ota باقر (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · izh vaskiraha (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · am መዳብ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nah chichiltic tepoztli (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · la cupreus (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · rup halcumã (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru ча́рка (copper mug used for drinking alcoholic beverages) · ar نُحَاسِيّ (reddish-brown colour of copper) · sah алтан (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nmn ǂkxʻái (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ca aram (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · de Kupfer (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mi kapa (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · sc arràmene (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ja 銅貨 (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · ja 銅 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · uk купрум (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cv пӑхӑр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kjh чис (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mi kapa (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · min tambago (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kk мыс (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · dlg алтан (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ang ār (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · zh 銅 /铜 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mdh galang (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fr cuivré (reddish-brown colour of copper) · agj ነህስ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ko 구리 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · be спіж (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg сине́вка (any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings) · pl miedziak (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · la aerāmen (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq rem (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru чугуно́к (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · fi kupariraha (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · my ကြေးနီ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ro aramă (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sa ताम्र (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fur ram (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ifk gombang (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pl miedź (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ce цӏаста (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lv varš (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · el χάλκινο (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ru медь (copper sheet on which an image or writing is engraved) · ko 구리쇠 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ro cupru (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fy koper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nmn ǂkxʻái (any of various specialized items made of copper) · krc багъыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vi màu đồng (reddish-brown colour of copper) · pt cobre (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · ms kuprum (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fa مسی (reddish-brown colour of copper) · gd gliog (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · km ស្ពាន់ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq bakër (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kuparinruskea (reddish-brown colour of copper) · sq bakëre (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · alt јес акча (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · yue 銅 /铜 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ckt четԓёчеԓ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pl miedziany (any of various specialized items made of copper) · hi ताँबा (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru черво́нец (any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings) · ko 동 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kultasiipi (any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings) · ts nsina (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · dsb kupor (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · amu ndyé (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · la cuprum (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · te తామ్రము (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rm irom (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ace teumaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ff 𞤧𞤭𞤤𞤢 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cs měďák (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · gld гион (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl koperrood (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ja 銅 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kpv ыргӧн (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · crh baqır (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · hi ताम्र (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl koperbruin (reddish-brown colour of copper) · knb gambyang (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rup bãcãri (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tr bakır (any of various specialized items made of copper) · ta செம்பு (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru медь (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · id tembaga (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · rup bacrã (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · alt јес (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ba баҡыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kl kanngussak (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ca aram (any of various specialized items made of copper) · la aes (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mt ram (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · se veaiki (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ar نحاس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sc ràmene (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · el χαλκός (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ja カッパー (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · he נְחֹשֶׁת (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sw shaba (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · ckb مس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kw kober (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tt бакыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg бакър (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · am ነሕስ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · an arambre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · txb pilke (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sw shaba (reddish-brown colour of copper) · nv béésh łichíiʼii (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · qu anta (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · be спіжарны (reddish-brown colour of copper) · krc джез (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vo kuprin (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sux 𒍏 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq remtë (any of various specialized items made of copper) · lzz პრინჯი (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · yi קופּער (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kn ತಾಮ್ರ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · zh 銅貨 /铜货 (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · te రాగి (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sq qipër (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · shn တွင်းလႅင် (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ne तामा (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tk mis (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · non koparr (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ar نُحَاس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sjs nnḥas (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ja 銅色 (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ga copar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sib temaga' (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ksc kantar (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · et vask (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nb kopper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pt cobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ru котёл (large pot filled with water and heated over a fire) · grc χαλκός (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · gv cobbyr (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ota باقر (any of various specialized items made of copper) · th ทองแดง (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · uz мис (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg бакър (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kupari (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · az mis (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ast cobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pt cúprico (any of various specialized items made of copper) · hy պղինձ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · oc coire (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nrf rouoge tchuivre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · hy պղինձագույն (reddish-brown colour of copper) · alt бакыр (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pam tangsu (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nds Kopper (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lmo ramm (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · dz ཟངས (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bbl წასტ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lt varis (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · is eir (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · uz mis (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · akk werûm (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pms ram (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fa مس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mhr вӱрге́не (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · cs měď (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tr bakır (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · alt јес (any of various specialized items made of copper) · es cobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · os ӕрхуы (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ilo tanso (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · mhn kupfer (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sva ჩეი̄ (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tyv чес (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · oj miskwaabik (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · tl kulay-tanso (reddish-brown colour of copper) · tpw itanema (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ky жез (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sw shaba (any of various specialized items made of copper) · as তাম (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · lb Kofferfuarf (reddish-brown colour of copper) · lb Kofferfaarf (reddish-brown colour of copper) · acx صفر (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · bg медна монета (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · tum mkuwa (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · liv vašk (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl kopermunt (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · eu kobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · de Kupferfarbe (reddish-brown colour of copper) · zh 銅 /铜 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · sw shaba (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ht kwiv (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fr cuivre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ka სპილენძისფერი (reddish-brown colour of copper) · bua зэд (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ga umha (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · nl koperkleur (reddish-brown colour of copper) · uga 𐎘𐎍𐎘 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ebk kianfiang (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · dar дубси (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · vi chén đồng (copper mug used for drinking alcoholic beverages) · ar نحاس (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · an cobre (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ko 적금 (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · pt cobre (reddish-brown colour of copper) · bg ме́ден (reddish-brown colour of copper) · ja 赤銅 (reddish-brown colour of copper) · sq bakër (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · fa مسین (coin, typically of a small denomination, originally made of copper; coins made of copper collectively) · inh цӏаста (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · fi kupariesine (any of various specialized items made of copper) · mbb tumbaɣa (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · kum ез (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · ltg vars (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element) · shi anas (reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29; the metal made up of this element)
The noun is inherited from Middle English coper, copper (“copper ore; copper metal; bronze”), from Old English coper, copor (“copper”), from Late Latin cuprum (“copper”), a contraction of Latin aes Cyprium (literally “Cyprian brass or copper”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Κῠ́προς (Kŭ́pros, “Cyprus”) (a major source of copper during the Near East’s Bronze Age), from the name of a Northwest Semitic goddess from the root כ־ב־ר/ك ب ر (k b r) (“related to being big, large; great; or old”). Doublet of kobo.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch koper (“copper”)
* German Kupfer (“copper”)
* Icelandic kopar (“copper”)
Compare typologically Argentina (< Latin argentum, an opposite semantic shift); turquoise (akin to Turk).
Meanings
(transitive) To coat or sheathe (something) with copper (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
(transitive) To give (something) a colour by applying a copper salt.
(dated, transitive) To give copper coins to (someone); to pay.
(US, transitive) In the game of faro: to place a copper coin, or now usually a small disc or token, on (a playing card) to indicate that a player bets against that card.
(US, figuratively, transitive) In the game of faro: to place a copper coin, or now usually a small disc or token, on (a playing card) to indicate that a player bets against that card. ▸ To bet against (something).
The dive is off. Better copper your bets while there's time. 1929 February 1, Dashiell Hammett, “A Black Knife”, in Red Harvest, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, published March 1931, →OCLC, page 95:
[T]hey are going to take this whole Mississippi, and twist it around and make it run several miles up stream. […] [Y]ou have n't got to believe they can do such miracles, have you? And yet you ain't absolutely obliged to believe they can't. I reckon the safe way, where a man can afford it, is to copper the operation, and at the same time buy enough property in Vicksburg to square you up in case they win. 1883, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “Uncle Mumford Unloads”, in Life on the Mississippi, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, →OCLC, page 304:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
coppers
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
coppering
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
coppered
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
coppered
Tense=Past
lexicographic
Translations (6)
fi panostaa (in the game of faro: to place a copper coin, or small disc or token, on (a playing card) to indicate that a player bets against that card) · fi kuparoida (to coat or sheathe (something) in copper) · grc περιχαλκόω (to coat or sheathe (something) in copper) · ru медни́ть (to coat or sheathe (something) in copper) · fi kuparoida (to give (something) a colour by applying copper salt) · ru омедни́ть (to coat or sheathe (something) in copper)
The noun is probably derived from cop (“(informal, dated) to arrest or capture (someone)”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns), although cop is attested slightly later.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
(Australia, UK, slang, transitive) A police officer, especially one in uniform.
If you're caught by a copper, it's his job to pinch you, isn't it? You can hold him up with a gun, but he's got to come on, even if he gets killed. […] It's not fair on the coppers either; they've got their duty to do, and it's dirty to kill a man for doing his job. 1923, Edgar Wallace, chapter XIV, in The Missing Million, London: John Long, […], published 1927, →OCLC, pages 115–116:
One evening as I was lying down in Leicester Square / I was picked up by the coppers and kicked in the balls 1985 August 5, Shane MacGowan, “The Old Main Drag”, in Rum Sodomy & the Lash, performed by The Pogues, London; Universal City, Calif.: Stiff Records, →OCLC:
A uniformed copper came in. The chief jerked a thumb at MacSwain and said: "Take this baby down cellar and let the wrecking crew work on him before you lock him up." 1929 February 1, Dashiell Hammett, “A New Deal”, in Red Harvest, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, published March 1931, →OCLC, page 124:
(US, dated, historical, slang, transitive) Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word: a private detective or a security guard.
I went to the phone and asked the girl to send the house copper [of the hotel] up. 1929 February 1, Dashiell Hammett, “A Tip on Kid Cooper”, in Red Harvest, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, published March 1931, →OCLC, page 83:
(Australia, UK, slang, transitive) An informer. ▸ A person working as an informer for the police; a nark
(Australia, UK, slang, transitive) An informer. ▸ A prisoner who informs on fellow prisoners.
The noun is probably derived from cop (“(informal, dated) to arrest or capture (someone)”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns), although cop is attested slightly later.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
(UK, slang, transitive) To inform on (someone) to the police; to nark.
(US, archaic, slang, transitive) To arrest (someone).
(UK, intransitive, slang, transitive) To inform on someone to the police.
"It's no use your staying here, because I'm not going to copper anybody," said the woman truculently. "My lodgers are respectable people; they keep themselves to themselves, and I keep myself to myself.[…]" 1923, Edgar Wallace, chapter XXXVII, in The Missing Million, London: John Long, […], published 1927, →OCLC, page 211:
From cop (“ball of thread wound on to a spindle in a spinning machine”) + -er (suffix denoting things relating to the words to which the suffix is attached to).
Meanings
(slang, transitive) A component of the cop (“conical ball of thread wound on to the spindle”) in a spinning machine.