copse
Americannoun
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing copse
Stump Speech: Tree Terminology
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beloved
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Crime and Punishment
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At Copse corner on the very first lap the two collided.
From BBC • Dec. 8, 2021
Partial remains were found in Alder Copse in West Sussex seven months later.
From BBC • Jul. 29, 2021
Although Hamilton did call him afterward to talk things through, Verstappen is still bitter with the seven-time Formula One champion for the Lap 1 incident at the high-speed Copse corner.
From Seattle Times • 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
She had been one of the rabbits taken prisoner when Woundwort attacked the warren at Nutley Copse.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
