coop

¹

[koop, koop]

noun

1. an enclosure, cage, or pen, usually with bars or wires, in which fowls or other small animals are confined for fattening, transportation, etc.

2. any small or narrow place.

3. Slang.,  a prison.

4. Sometimes Facetious.,  a cooperative, especially the cooperative bookstore of a college or university.

verb (used with object)

1. to place in or as if in a coop; confine narrowly (often followed by up orin ).

verb (used without object)

1. Slang.,  (of a police officer) to park and sleep inside one's patrol car while on duty.

coop.

²

Or co-op

abbreviation

1. cooperative.

coop

¹

/ kuːp /

noun

1. a cage or small enclosure for poultry or small animals

2. a small narrow place of confinement, esp a prison cell

3. a wicker basket for catching fish

verb

1. (tr; often foll by up or in) to confine in a restricted area

coop

²

/ ˈkəʊˌɒp /

noun

1. a cooperative, cooperative society, or shop run by a cooperative society

coop

³

abbreviation

1. a cooperative

coop.

⁴

abbreviation

1. cooperative

Other Word Forms

• uncoop verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of coop¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English coupe “basket,” perhaps from Scandinavian or ultimately from Latin cūpa “cask, tub” ( cup ( def. ) ); cognate with Norwegian kaup “wooden can,” Old English cȳpa “basket”

Word History and Origins

Origin of coop¹

C15: probably from Middle Low German kūpe basket, tub; related to Latin cūpa cask, vat

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. fly the coop, to run off; depart abruptly; escape.

   We stopped to see my sister, but she'd flown the coop.

see fly the coop.

Example Sentences

“And even though we occasionally use disparaging terms like ‘chicken coop’ to describe them, once you actually step inside one of those apartments, they don’t feel like that at all,” Jung said.

From Los Angeles Times

Big Bear Lake’s famed bald eagle couple has flown the coop, and naturalists are pointing to the city’s July 4th fireworks celebration as the likely culprit.

From Los Angeles Times

Though set up like a “chicken coop,” Sarinana said, the women inside formed a supportive community.

From Los Angeles Times

Electric fencing can be installed around chicken coops and enclosures.

From Los Angeles Times

If you, like me, are a connoisseur of ridiculous how-to TV, said pastime fits the profile of a woman of means with a backyard chicken coop and a Viking range.

From Salon