copper

¹ American  

[kop-er] / ˈkɒp ər /

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.

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adjective

1. made of copper.

   copper kettles.

2. reddish-brown; coppery.

   The copper sun sank into the sea.

verb (used with object)

• coppers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coppered,
  past participle,  past
• coppering
  present participle

1. to cover, coat, or sheathe with copper.

2. Informal. hedge.

copper ² American  

[kop-er] / ˈkɒp ər /

noun

Slang.

1. a police officer.

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copper ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒpə /

noun

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

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copper ² British  

/ 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

   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

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verb

1. (tr) to coat or cover with copper

copper Scientific  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coppery
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• coppering
  present
• coppered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• copper
  simple
• coppers
  simple
• have coppered
  perfect
• has coppered
  perfect
• am coppering
  progressive
• are coppering
  progressive
• is coppering
  progressive
• have been coppering
  perfect progressive
• has been coppering
  perfect progressive

Past

• coppered
  simple
• had coppered
  perfect
• was coppering
  progressive
• were coppering
  progressive
• had been coppering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will copper
  simple
• will have coppered
  perfect
• will be coppering
  progressive
• will have been coppering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

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

Explanation

Copper is a reddish-gold colored metal that's commonly used in electrical wires and plumbing. Your grandmother might make her famous chocolate caramel sauce in a shiny copper pot. Before 1983, pennies were 95 percent copper. Today, they're almost entirely zinc (a less expensive metal), coated with a thin copper plating. They look the same, but the older coins are quite a bit heavier. Copper is a good conductor of heat and electricity, which is why it's used for both fancy cookware and wires. You can also use copper for things that have a similar color: "His copper curls make him stand out from the other choir members."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

copper coppers coppered coppering

The results were driven by a 36% rise in copper prices and a 46% increase in gold prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Finning’s services to lithium miners in Bolivia and copper miners in Chile and Argentina give it “a very significant opportunity for profits,” with those materials in such high demand during the AI build-out, Robotti said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

The federal government considers Johnson Tract a “critical metals” undertaking because, alongside gold, the ore contains important industrial metals like zinc and copper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

In Tuesday morning continuous trading, the Nymex copper contract was trading at $6.66/lb, up 0.66%

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The wrought-iron frame mimicked the weave of vines, decorated with flowers and leaves of green copper.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Mette, who has been with the department for 18 years, told "young coppers" they have a "long way to go."

From Fox News ● Oct. 21, 2021

“You want to say ‘I know all these coppers, I know all these things?’

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2020

“You want to say `I know all these coppers, I know all these things?’

From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2020

Its conclusion, following a public consultation, was that the £50 note and coppers should all remain, and that the mix of notes and coins in circulation should be unchanged "for years to come".

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2019

“I wish it! Who would not wish it? But I cannot pay the fee. Gebu takes the coppers I earn at stonecutting, and I have nothing else.”

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Within the last month Alsop coppered the Longworth bet by wagering heavily on Ike to run.

From Time Magazine Archive

She had then been recaulked and coppered; besides having her rigging set up again and tarred down, as well as the coverings and seizings replaced, and the chaffing gear paid over.

From Fritz and Eric The Brother Crusoes by John C. (John Conroy) Hutcheson

Lucy—brigantine; 520 tons; oak-built, coppered, and copper-fastened throughout; has only been to sea twice; excellent sea-boat, very fast and weatherly; fully found in every respect, and quite ready for sea.

From The Voyage of the Aurora by Harry Collingwood

I’ve jest give Mrs. Campbell a bird’s-eye view of your career, so you’re coppered on that bet from the start.”

From Wunpost by Dane Coolidge

Now," he continued, briskly, "I guess we've got 'em coppered.

From Jim Spurling, Fisherman or Making Good by Albert Walter Tolman

Clampett & Co. expect to get richer still on royalties, and are coppering their bet by making a round-the-world tour, beating bandits and fattening the market for their book.

From Time Magazine Archive

The French ships, larger, deeper, and with better lines than their opponents, were naturally better sailers, and it may be inferred that even coppering had not entirely overcome this original disadvantage of the British.

From The Major Operations of the Navies in the War of American Independence by A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan

It seems they sing, Even though coppering is not an easy thing.

From Men, Women and Ghosts by Amy Lowell

He told husband that he had been "coppering" the market ever since he came to the city and had "taken every trick."

From The Comstock Club by Charles Carroll Goodwin

On our arrival at Yokohama we were all in good health and the Vega in excellent condition, though, after the long voyage, in want of some minor repairs, of docking, and possibly of coppering.

From The Voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe, Volume I and Volume II by Alexander Leslie

Related Words

• constable
• detective
• man
• officer
• patrolman
• patrolwoman
• police
• policewoman