coppice

coppice
\ \ [14] The notion underlying coppice is of ‘cutting’. Its ultimate source is the Greek noun kólaphosblow’, which passed via Latin colaphus into medieval Latin as colpus (source of English cope and coup). From colpus was derived a verb colpārecut’, which formed the basis of Vulgar Latin colpātīciumhaving the quality of being cut’. Its Old French descendant copeïz came to be applied to an area of small trees regularly cut back. English borrowed this as coppice (and in the 16th century spawned a new contracted form copse).
\ \ Cf.COPE, COPSE, COUP

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Coppice — Cop pice (k[o^]p p[i^]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Coppiced} (k[o^]p p[i^]st); p. pr. & vb. n. {Coppicing} (k[o^]p p[i^]*s[i^]ng).] (Forestry) To cause to grow in the form of a coppice; to cut back (as young timber) so as to produce shoots from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Coppice — Cop pice (k[o^]p p[i^]s), n. [OF. copeiz, fr. coper, couper, to cut, F. couper, fr. cop, coup, colp, a blow, F. coup, L. colaphus, fr. Gr. ko lafos. Cf. {Copse}, and cf. {Coup[ e]}, {Coupee}.] A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • coppice — late 14c., small thicket of trees grown for cutting, from O.Fr. copeiz, coupeiz a cut over forest, from V.L. *colpaticium having been cut, ultimately from L. colaphus a blow with the fist, from Gk. kolaphos blow, cuff (see COUP (Cf. coup)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • coppice — ► NOUN ▪ an area of woodland in which the trees or shrubs are periodically cut back to ground level to stimulate growth and provide wood. ► VERB ▪ cut back (a tree or shrub) in this way. ORIGIN Old French copeiz, from Greek kolaphus a blow with… …   English terms dictionary

  • coppice — [käp′is] n. [ME copis < OFr copeis < coper, colper, to strike: see COUP] COPSE …   English World dictionary

  • coppice — [[t]kɒ̱pɪs[/t]] coppices, coppicing, coppiced 1) N COUNT A coppice is a small group of trees growing very close to each other. [BRIT] ...coppices of willow. ...the mixed coppice is an ideal habitat for nesting birds. Syn: copse (in AM, use copse) …   English dictionary

  • coppice — I UK [ˈkɒpɪs] / US [ˈkɑpɪs] verb [transitive] Word forms coppice : present tense I/you/we/they coppice he/she/it coppices present participle coppicing past tense coppiced past participle coppiced to cut trees regularly to ground level in order to …   English dictionary

  • coppice — I. noun Etymology: Middle English copies cutover area overgrown with brush, from Middle French copeis, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *colpaticium, from *colpare to cut, from Late Latin colpus blow more at cope Date: 1534 1. a thicket, grove …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • coppice — 1. noun A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain times for fuel or other purposes, typically managed to promote growth and ensure a reliable supply of timber. See copse. It was also enacted that all coppices or… …   Wiktionary

  • coppice — [14] The notion underlying coppice is of ‘cutting’. Its ultimate source is the Greek noun kólaphos ‘blow’, which passed via Latin colaphus into medieval Latin as colpus (source of English cope and coup). From colpus was derived a verb colpāre… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • Coppice — ♦ The system of repeatedly cutting back a woody plant every 6 20 years. The part which remains permanently is the coppice stool. From this coppice stool grow poles, from between about three and eight in number. These economic poles are the… …   Medieval glossary

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