copper

copper — adjective

1. made from the reddish-brown metal that conducts heat and electricity very well.

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

made from the reddish-brown metal that conducts heat and electricity very well.

Example

The old kitchen still had copper pipes running under the sink.

collocation: copper pipes

Leo polished the copper kettle until it shone like a mirror.

Common collocations
  • copper pipes
  • copper wire
  • copper pots
  • copper sheets
  • copper tools
Synonyms
  • brass

    a yellow alloy that looks similar but is not the same metal

  • bronze

    a reddish-brown alloy of copper and tin, harder than pure copper

Grammar Patterns

copper + noun

Common Mistakes

I bought a copper pan' (when pan is copper-coloured but not metal).
I bought a copper-coloured pan.
'copper' alone as adjective means 'made of the metal'; for the colour, use 'copper-coloured' or the adjective sense below.

2. having the shiny reddish-brown colour that copper metal typically shows.

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

having the shiny reddish-brown colour that copper metal typically shows.

Example

The dancer with long copper hair caught everyone's attention at the party.

collocation: copper hair

Sivan painted her front door a warm copper shade last weekend.

Common collocations
  • copper hair
  • copper leaves
  • copper colour
  • copper glow
  • copper sky
Synonyms
  • auburn

    reddish-brown, used almost exclusively for hair colour

  • russet

    a duller, earthier reddish-brown, often for fabric or autumn leaves

Grammar Patterns

copper + noun

copper-coloured + noun

copper — noun

Word family

  • coppery
    adjectiveB2
  • copperplate
    nounC1
  • copper-bottomed
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Copper, bronze, brass, and iron are all metals that learners sometimes confuse. Copper is a pure reddish-brown element (Cu) that conducts electricity extremely well — that is why electrical wires are made from it. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin; it is harder than pure copper and has a darker, less shiny appearance. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; it is bright yellow rather than reddish-brown and is often used in musical instruments and decorative fittings. Iron is a completely different metal — grey, magnetic, and much stronger than copper, used in construction and heavy machinery. To tell them apart, remember: if it is reddish and conducts electricity, it is probably copper; if it is yellowish and looks like gold, it is brass; if it is dark and used for statues, it is bronze; if it is grey and heavy, it is iron.

bronze ↗brassiron ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • copper industry
  • copper mine
  • copper market
  • copper recycling

Phrases

  • made of copper
  • copper-coloured
  • coated with copper

Prepositions

  • of copper
  • in copper
  • with copper

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The English word 'copper' comes from the Latin 'cuprum', which was short for 'aes Cyprium' meaning 'metal of Cyprus' — because the island of Cyprus was the main source of copper in the ancient world. This Latin form passed into Old English as 'coper' and later into Middle English as 'copper'. The chemical symbol Cu comes directly from the Latin 'cuprum'.