copper

¹

[ kop-er ]

noun

1. a malleable, ductile, metallic element having a characteristic reddish-brown color: used in large quantities as an electrical conductor and in the manufacture of alloys, as brass and bronze. : Cu; : 63.54; : 29; : 8.92 at 20°C.
2. a metallic reddish brown.
3. a coin composed of copper, bronze, or the like, as the U.S. cent or the British penny.
4. any of several butterflies of the family Lycaenidae, as Lycaena hypophleas American copper, having copper-colored wings spotted and edged with black.
5. a container made of copper.
6. a tool partly or wholly made of copper:

   a soldering copper.

7. British. a large kettle, now usually made of iron, used for cooking or to boil laundry.

adjective

1. made of copper:

   copper kettles.

2. reddish-brown; coppery:

   The copper sun sank into the sea.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover, coat, or sheathe with copper.
2. Informal. hedge ( def 6 ).

copper

²

[ kop-er ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a police officer.

copper

¹

/ ˈkɒpə /

noun

1. See policeman
   a slang word for policeman Often shortened tocop

copper

²

/ ˈkɒpə /

noun

1. 1. a malleable ductile reddish metallic element occurring as the free metal, copper glance, and copper pyrites: used as an electrical and thermal conductor and in such alloys as brass and bronze. Symbol: Cu; atomic no: 29; atomic wt: 63.546; valency: 1 or 2; relative density: 8.96; melting pt: 1084.87±+0.2°C; boiling pt: 2563°C cupriccuprous cupro-
   2. ( as modifier )

      a copper coin

2. 1. the reddish-brown colour of copper
   2. ( as adjective )

      copper hair

3. informal.
   any copper or bronze coin
4. a large vessel, formerly of copper, used for boiling or washing
5. any of various small widely distributed butterflies of the genera Lycaena, Heodes, etc, typically having reddish-brown wings: family Lycaenidae

verb

1. tr to coat or cover with copper

copper

/ kŏp′ər /

1. A reddish-brown, ductile, malleable metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. It is widely used for electrical wires, water pipes, and rust-resistant parts, either in its pure form or in alloys such as brass and bronze. Atomic number 29; atomic weight 63.546; melting point 1,083°C; boiling point 2,595°C; specific gravity 8.96; valence 1, 2.
2. See Periodic Table See Note at element

Derived Forms

• ˈcoppery, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of copper¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English coper, copper, Old English coper, copor (cognate with Old Norse koparr, German Kupfer ), from Late Latin cuprum, for Latin ( aes ) Cyprium “(metal) from Cyprus”

Origin of copper²

First recorded in 1830–40; perhaps cop ² + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of copper¹

C19: from cop ¹(vb) + -er ¹

Origin of copper²

Old English coper, from Latin Cyprium aes Cyprian metal, from Greek Kupris Cyprus

Example Sentences

The commercial products are being developed with copper-based shape memory alloys, which are softer and don’t need as much force as nickel-titanium alloys.

From Quanta Magazine

One model created at the facility is a knit mask woven through with copper, which is being used in medical facilities and by the US military.

From MIT Technology Review

Others were made using titanium, copper, chromium or zirconium.

From Science News For Students

Then he stuffed copper wool into each end to press the powder together.

From Science News For Students

Under some of the previous rules that were in place, these companies had to maintain those copper networks no matter what, even though these networks were not providing consumers high-capacity, high-quality broadband.

From Freakonomics

You can find fourteen of these copper creations, all initially containing 3,900 liters of liquid apiece, on the Macallan estate.

From The Daily Beast

But the copper performs another important function: working as a catalyst in the distillation process.

From The Daily Beast

Why the size and shape of a copper still is at the core of whisky distillation.

From The Daily Beast

The151-foot newborn waited in the harbor on her 171-foot pedestal, a huge French flag fluttering over her dark copper face.

From The Daily Beast

After all, there are much larger risks in this world than traces of copper in your water.

From The Daily Beast

The vicar's wife sat before a huge book, in front of her were little piles of copper money.

From Project Gutenberg

Beds, in those days, were warmed with copper warming pans, and nightcaps adorned the slumbering heads of both sexes.

From Project Gutenberg

Such a furnace worked there for many years, until copper smelting was removed from Cornwall to Wales.

From Project Gutenberg

The Japanese use both copper and silver pipes, most of them similar in shape and size to those used by the Chinese.

From Project Gutenberg

One evening at tea, a copper kettle, with hot water, stood on the hob.

From Project Gutenberg