coop

coop · noun, verb¹

1. Medieval Latin · derived fromcōpa“cask”
2. Latin · derived fromcūpa
3. Old Saxon · derived from*kûpa
4. Middle Dutch · derived fromcûpe
5. Old English · derived fromcȳpe“basket, cask”
6. Middle English · derived fromcǒupe
7. English todaycoop

From Middle English cǒupe, cupe, from Old English cȳpe (“basket, cask”) or possibly from Middle Dutch cûpe (compare modern Dutch kuip, Saterland Frisian kupe, Middle Low German kûpe), from Old Saxon *kûpa, côpa (“cask”) (compare Middle Low German kôpe, Old High German chôfa, chuofa, Middle High German kuofe, modern regional German Kufe f (“cask”)), probably from Latin cūpa, Medieval Latin cōpa (“cask”) (thus a doublet of coupe, cup, and keeve). However, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that if the word is from Latin, “it is difficult to account for the umlaut in Old English cýpe”.

coop · noun²

Possibly from coop, above. Sense 2 may be from English coup (“to tilt, overturn, upset”).

coop · noun³

Uncertain; compare English cop (“top, summit (especially of a hill); head”).

coop · noun⁴

From cooperative, by shortening.

Coop · proper noun⁵

Clipping of Cooper.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 1960s. Of a police officer: to sleep or relax while on duty.