# copper

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒpə/ · frequency rank #4,515

## Definitions
1. A reddish-brown metallic chemical element (symbol Cu) with the atomic number 29; also, the metal made up of this element.
2. The reddish-brown colour of copper (etymology 1 sense 1).
3. The reddish-brown colour of copper (etymology 1 sense 1).
4. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
5. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
6. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
7. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
8. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.
9. Any of various specialized items made of copper (etymology 1 sense 1), where the use of the metal is either necessary or traditional to the function of the item.

## Etymology
The noun is inherited from Middle English coper, copper (“copper ore; copper metal; bronze”), from Old English coper, copor (“copper”), from Late Latin cuprum (“copper”), a contraction of Latin aes Cyprium (literally “Cyprian brass or copper”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Κῠ́προς (Kŭ́pros, “Cyprus”) (a major source of copper during the Near East’s Bronze Age), from the name of a Northwest Semitic goddess from the root כ־ב־ר/ك ب ر (k b r) (“related to being big, large; great; or old”). Doublet of kobo.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch koper (“copper”)
* German Kupfer (“copper”)
* Icelandic kopar (“copper”)

## Easily confused with
- **cover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cover)
- **coupe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-coupe)
- **cower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cower)
- **corner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-corner)
- **cypher** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cypher)
- **cotter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cotter)
- **corker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-corker)
- **Cowper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cowper)
- **cropped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-cropped)
- **coupler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copper-vs-coupler)
- **cope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cope-vs-copper)
- **caper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/caper-vs-copper)
- **comer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/comer-vs-copper)
- **coker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coker-vs-copper)
- **coder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coder-vs-copper)
- **coped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coped-vs-copper)
- **copies** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copies-vs-copper)
- **Cooper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooper-vs-copper)
- **cooler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooler-vs-copper)
- **copied** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/copied-vs-copper)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ccopper`, `copepr`, `coper`, `copperr`, `coppre`, `cpoper`, `ocpper`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/copper