a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor
"The electrician ran new copper wiring through the walls because its high conductivity makes it ideal for carrying electricity safely."
a copper penny
"I found an old, tarnished copper penny tucked inside my grandmother's hatbox."
a reddish-brown color resembling the color of polished copper
"The old roof tiles have faded to a dull, rusty hue that looks like weathered copper under the afternoon sun."
any of various small butterflies of the family Lycaenidae having coppery wings
"The children spotted a tiny copper fluttering just above the wildflowers in the meadow."
A reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element with high electrical and thermal conductivity, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.
"The copper pulled me over for speeding just outside the city limits."
A police officer.
In plain English: Copper is a reddish-brown metal that people often use to make pipes, wires, and coins.
"The roof was made of copper and has a beautiful green color now."
Usage: In slang, "copper" refers to a police officer, often used informally or in criminal contexts. Do not use this term when referring to the reddish metal element unless you are specifically discussing the material itself.
coat with a layer of copper
"The old statue was treated to be coated with a layer of copper before being displayed in the park."
To sheathe or coat with copper.
"The ship's hull was carefully coated with copper to prevent barnacles from attaching during its long voyage across the ocean."
In plain English: To copper means to cover something with a thin layer of copper metal.
"The thief tried to copper the jewelry store by slipping in through the window."
Usage: This verb form is archaic and rarely used in modern English; today, people simply say something is made of copper or plated with it. You will mostly encounter this word when reading historical texts rather than in everyday conversation.
Made of copper.
"The plumber replaced the old plastic pipes with shiny new ones made of copper to prevent corrosion."
"The old copper wire was too brittle to use for the new electrical connections."
Usage: Use "copper" as an adjective to describe objects made from the reddish metal, such as copper wiring or copper pipes. It functions similarly to other material descriptors like "gold" or "silver" to indicate composition rather than color alone.
A surname.
"My neighbor, Mr. Copper, helped me move my furniture yesterday."
The word copper comes from Latin cuprum, which was originally named after the island of Cyprus because it was a major source of the metal during ancient times. This name for the island itself traces back to an ancient goddess associated with greatness and age.