copper

1
[ kop-er ]
See synonyms for: coppercoppers on Thesaurus.com

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. Symbol: Cu; atomic weight: 63.54; atomic number: 29; specific gravity: 8.92 at 20°C.

  2. a metallic reddish brown.

  1. a coin composed of copper, bronze, or the like, as the U.S. cent or the British penny.

  2. any of several butterflies of the family Lycaenidae, as Lycaena hypophleas(American copper ), having copper-colored wings spotted and edged with black.

  3. a container made of copper.

  4. a tool partly or wholly made of copper: a soldering copper.

  5. 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).

Origin of copper

1
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”

Words Nearby copper

Other definitions for copper (2 of 2)

copper2
[ kop-er ]

nounSlang.

Origin of copper

2
First recorded in 1830–40; perhaps cop2 + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use copper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for copper (1 of 2)

copper1

/ (ˈkɒpə) /


noun
    • 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: Related adjectives: cupric, cuprous Related prefix: cupro-

    • (as modifier): a copper coin

    • the reddish-brown colour of copper

    • (as adjective): copper hair

  1. informal any copper or bronze coin

  2. mainly British a large vessel, formerly of copper, used for boiling or washing

  3. 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

Origin of copper

1
Old English coper, from Latin Cyprium aes Cyprian metal, from Greek Kupris Cyprus

Derived forms of copper

  • coppery, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for copper (2 of 2)

copper2

/ (ˈkɒpə) /


noun
  1. a slang word for policeman Often shortened to: cop

Origin of copper

2
C19: from cop 1 (vb) + -er 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for copper

copper

[ kŏpər ]


Cu
  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. See Periodic Table. See Note at element.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.