Middle English Dictionary Entry
cō̆per n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cō̆per n. Also copper, cop(p)re, couper, cipur. |
| Etymology | OE coper, -or (from L cuprum). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Copper, the ore or the metal; also, bronze; ~ of Corynthe, see quot. 1439; (b) used attrib.: ~ croune, ~ peni. etc.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6:Morton)284 fn. : Golt, seluer, stel, irn, copper..al is icleopet or.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.261 : Þe hille þat coper [L cuprum] is i-digged ynne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)177a/a : Ciprus is an Ilond..and was some tyme ful famous..of metalle of copre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)199a/a : Bras and coper ben y cleped es, for eiþer is y made of þe same stoon.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257a/b : Vynegre..gendreþ..greene bras of copur.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6053 : Þei dide make a stede Large and wyde of coper & of bras.
- (1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4575 : Pro una cruce de copir deaurato.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)38b/b : Be it kept in a box of latoun or copre [L in pixide erea].
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)191 : Of osmond be the custum takyn as of brasse, of eche pece of ore brass, laten, or copper be takyn quadrans.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.1445 : Gold, siluer, coper, medlid into oon, Coper of Corynthe men sothli dede it call.
- (1447) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 11117 : Senseres of latton & A shyppe of copr.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16399 : Of coper þey dyde make a knyght.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)308 : Bere and bacone bene fro Pruse ibroughte Into Flaundres..Osmonde, coppre, [etc.].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1487 : On a piler was, Of coper, Venus clerk Ovide.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8389 : Faire pillers were þere proude, all of pure coper.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1328 : The world..Is vnnethe..Nouther of Coper nor of stel.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)164/499 : A box of horne or of coper.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)435/6 : v soldi, not of clene syluer bod of coppur.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)33/9 : It makyth whyt bothe coppir and syluer þat is rusty.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.47/6 : Candilstyks of laton or coper, and gilt.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15150 : ij bosces of copper, and ouer gylt.
- (c1465) Invent.Cirencester in BGAS 18 (Bod 6530)327 : ij brochis of copre.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57172 : Lete the koper be delyverd be weyte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)78/15 : Arthure lette make twelve images of laton and cooper, and overgylte with golde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17178 : She felde yt ful..Off Coper.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)154 : For to make vertegrece. Take platis of clene coper or ellis of pannes or caudrones..vynegre or stronge lies in the botme of the vessel..the vessel stonde hote as in horsdunge.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)155 : Let it stonde so to the lemaile of coper be al turnyd into Vertegrece.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)28a : Copyr: Cuprum, Auricalcum.
- a1500 *Vsp.Weights (Vsp E.9)86b : The ll of thys weyght conteynyth xvj vnce of Troy weyght and by þis weyght be all maner of merchaundyse bought & sold as Tynne, Lede, Iron, Coper.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)256 : It is a worke and cure dyvyne, ffowle copyr to make gold or syluere fyne.
b
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.109 : Cipur tongis [L ciprei bidentes].
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)99 : A fayr saphir set in a copir ryng.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)100/24 : Þe same preent is made boþe in gold and in siluer and in copir..penyes.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)8/3 : A copir candilstik.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)379 : On her hede she weryd a rede copyr crowne.
2.
Copper as the metal assigned to the planet Venus.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2473 : Jupiter the Bras bestoweth, The Coper set is to Venus.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.829 : Sol gold is and Luna siluer..Iuppiter is tyn And Venus coper.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1239 : Venus..Hir metal coper, that wil ternyssh grene.
3.
(a) coper-smith, one who makes copper utensils; also as surname; (b) surnames: Coper-beter, ~ man, ~ nail.
Associated quotations
a
- (1305) Court R.Lond.218 : John le Copersmith.
- (1316) in Fransson Surn.136 : Rog. le Copersmith.
- (1327) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.159 : [The aforesaid] copresmethes [have made an ordinance].
- (1327) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.160 : Robert de Suttone and Walter le Keu, copresmythes.
- (1399) in Madox Firma Burgi (1726)33 : Nicholaus Broker et Godefridus Prest, cives et copersmythes de Londonis.
- -?-(1412) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96116 : Joh. Doncastre, coupersmyth.
- (1434) EEWills97/12 : Y bequ[e]the to Aneys Copursmyth a combe of yverie.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)234 : By a copyr smythe hit was a spyde of hyr longe contynuans in hyr robbory.
b
- (1202) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.15157 : Hugo Coperman.
- (1244) Doc.Ireland in RS 53119 : Reginaldus Copernail.
- (1286) Let.Bk.Lond.A (Gldh LetBk A)163 : Stephen le Coperbeter.