Coop and Cooper Come From the Same Barrel
A coop is a cage for poultry. The word shares a root with the barrel maker's trade.
A coop is a cage or pen for poultry. It comes from Middle English *cupe*, a basket or cask, from Latin *cupa*, a barrel — the same root that gives *cooper*, the barrel maker, one of the commonest English surnames. A wicker basket for hens and a cask for ale were the same kind of object to a medieval eye. To be *cooped up* is to be confined in too small a space, and *fly the coop* means to escape.
- A poultry cage. *A chicken coop.*
- Cooped up — confined. *Cooped up indoors.*
- Fly the coop — escape. *He flew the coop.*
- Cooper — a barrel maker. *A cooper.*
- Latin — *cupa*, a cask. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | coop | A coop. |
| Plural | coops | Coops. |
| Verb | coop | Cooped up. |
| Related | cooper | A cooper. |
| Latin | cupa | A cask. |
- The hens went into the coop.Poultry.
- They were cooped up all week.Idiom.
- Cooper means barrel maker.Etymology.
Surnames from trades
- Cooper — a maker of barrels
- Fletcher — a maker of arrows
- Chandler — a maker of candles
- Wainwright — a maker of wagons
- Sawyer — one who saws timber
Middle English *cupe*, a basket or cask, from Latin *cupa*, a barrel or tub.
Are coop and cooper related?
Yes. Both come from Latin cupa, a cask. A cooper makes barrels and a coop was originally a basket of the same kind of construction.
What does fly the coop mean?
To escape or leave suddenly, from a bird getting out of its cage.