copse

American  

[kops] / kɒps /

noun

1. a thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.

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copse British  

/ kɒps /

noun

1. another word for coppice

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Etymology

Origin of copse

First recorded in 1570–80; alteration of coppice

Explanation

A copse is a thicket of bushes or a small stand of trees. A copse of trees can provide a good hiding place during a game of hide-and-seek. If you go to your local garden shop and ask about how to take care of your copse, you may get some blank stares, as it's not a word you'll find much in everyday use. The word first appeared in the late 16th century, as a shortened form of coppice, a word still used in British English, referring to an area with trees or shrubs that are periodically cut back to the ground so that they grow back thicker.

Example Sentences

In warm temperatures and in front of a large crowd, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto both had huge spins at the ultra-fast Copse corner, remarkably without going off track and damaging their cars.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2025

He was leading the British GP from pole position and was sent flying off track by a risky Hamilton overtaking move at the lightning-fast Copse corner that led to a time penalty.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2021

Partial remains were found in Alder Copse in West Sussex seven months later.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2021

Hamilton won at Silverstone despite taking a 10-second time penalty after he was judged to have been responsible for Verstappen’s crash on Lap 1 at the high-speed Copse corner.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2021

Every Saturday Mrs. E.C.B. walked three miles to town from her farm, which was called Cape Jessamine Copse.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee