coop

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small enclosure or shelter for poultry or other small animals

   The hens returned to the wooden coop before nightfall.

2. 2
   verb

   to confine a person or animal in a small or restricted place, usually in the phrase coop up

   Weeks of rain cooped the children up inside the cottage.

Common collocations

• chicken coop Noun + noun

From Middle English cowpe, related to Dutch kuip and German Kufe, words for a vat or cask, and ultimately associated with Latin cupa, 'cask.' A container or basket became an enclosure for birds and small animals; the verb then developed the figurative sense 'confine in cramped quarters.'

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images