What does "copper" mean?
A reddish-brown metal, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.
Copper
/qʰɔpɑ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A reddish-brown metal, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.
- Grammar: copper is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cop, copper color, adust, atomic number 29.
- Useful contrasts: criminal, felon, gray.
- Usage evidence: Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
How to use "copper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "copper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "copper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "copper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "copper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "copper" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cop" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "copper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A reddish-brown metal, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29. uncountable
"Trump’s July 8 announcement of a 50% tariff on copper imports beginning August 1 sent prices surging 13% in one day, up to a record high of $5.69 per pound."
- 2 A police officer. slang
"One evening as I was lying down in Leicester Square / I was picked up by the coppers and kicked in the balls"
- 3 any of various small butterflies of the family Lycaenidae having coppery wings wordnet
- 4 The reddish-brown colour / color of copper. countable, uncountable
- 5 a reddish-brown color resembling the color of polished copper wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Any of various specialized items that are made of copper, where the use of copper is either traditional or vital to the function of the item. countable, dated
"Coppers are generally good for a year, if the battery is carefully attended […]"
- 7 uncomplimentary terms for a policeman wordnet
- 8 Any of various specialized items that are made of copper, where the use of copper is either traditional or vital to the function of the item.; A copper coin, typically of a small denomination, such as a penny. countable, dated
"I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers."
- 9 a copper penny wordnet
- 10 Any of various specialized items that are made of copper, where the use of copper is either traditional or vital to the function of the item.; A large pot, often used for heating water or washing clothes over a fire. In Australasia at least, it could also be a fixed installation made of copper, with a fire underneath and its own chimney. Generally made redundant by the advent of the washing machine. Australia, UK, countable, dated, uncountable
"Mum would heat the water in a copper in the kitchen and transfer it to the tin bath."
- 11 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 wordnet
- 12 Any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings, especially those of the genera Lycaena and Paralucia. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To sheathe or coat with copper.
- 2 coat with a layer of copper wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Made of copper.
- 2 Having the reddish-brown colour/color of copper.
"All in a hot and copper sky, / The bloody Sun, at noon, / Right up above the mast did stand, / No bigger than the Moon."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "copper"?
Common synonyms include: cop, copper color, adust, atomic number 29, auburn, aureate.
How do you use "copper" in a sentence?
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
How do you pronounce "copper"?
Pronounced /qʰɔpɑ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English coper, from Old English coper, copor (“copper”), from Late Latin cuprum (“copper”), contraction of Latin aes Cyprium (literally “Cyprian brass”), from Ancient Greek Κύπρος (Kúpros, “Cyprus”). Doublet of kobo. Cognate with Dutch koper (“copper”), German Kupfer (“copper”), Icelandic kopar (“copper”).
Etymology 2
From cop (“to take, capture, seize”) + -er (agent noun suffix).