cooper

1 of 2

noun

coo·​per ˈkü-pər  ˈku̇- 

: one that makes or repairs wooden casks or tubs

cooper

2 of 2

verb

coopered; coopering ˈkü-p(ə-)riŋ 

ˈku̇-

transitive verb

: to work as a cooper on

intransitive verb

: to work at or do coopering

Examples of cooper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Our coopers over the generations have looked after it. —Chris Perugini, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

When Curtis Whiley’s great-great-great-grandfather, a cooper from Virginia, took refuge in Nova Scotia in 1815, this community was nothing but pine forest. —Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb. 2025

Long-time distillery employees—from distillers to blenders to coopers to warehouse managers—leave their indelible mark on the next generation of employees. —Chris Perugini, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

The look of the university is an amalgam of Italian, Moorish and American architectural styles, with a blending of materials such as plaster, cooper and wood. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

His father, George, owned 25,000 acres of land and operated large plantations in Virginia, relying on enslaved people to work as carpenters, coopers, sawyers, blacksmiths, tanners, shoemakers, spinners, weavers, knitters, distillers, cooks, laundry maids and field laborers. —Sue Eisenfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024

Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, OBE, began his career in whisky making working as a cooper at The Glen Grant distillery in 1961, and was actually born on the distillery grounds in 1946. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2023

Whiskey is next with barrels from a local cooper. —Marc Bona, cleveland, 7 Mar. 2022

In 2016, Julien asked the local cooper, Tonnellerie Artisanale de Champagne, to make some oak barrels from staves that had been left to dry for four years, which is a year longer than for typical high-quality oak barrels (the longer the better some think). —Per and Britt Karlsson, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021

Verb

The slopes here are renowned for its thousands of cherry blossom trees, explains DiPasquale, but within them there is a small golden ring of cedar trees which are the only wood used to cooper barrels for cedar aging sake. —Jillian Dara, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English couper, cowper, from Middle Dutch cūper (from cūpe cask) or Middle Low German kūper, from kūpe cask; Middle Dutch cūpe & Middle Low German kūpe, from Latin cupa; akin to Greek kypellon cup — more at hive

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1720, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for cooper

• grouper
• hooper
• keuper
• looper
• stupor
• super
• trooper
• paratrooper

Kids Definition

cooper

noun

coo·​per

ˈkü-pər,

ˈku̇p-ər

: a worker who makes or repairs wooden casks, tubs, or barrels

Biographical Definition

Cooper 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

Anthony Ashley see shaftesbury

Cooper

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Coo·​per ˈkü-pər 

ˈku̇-

James Fen*i*more ˈfen-ə-ˌmȯr  1789–1851 American novelist

Cooper

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

Leon Neil 1930–     American physicist

Cooper

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

Peter 1791–1883 American manufacturer and philanthropist