copper Hear it!

copper¹ Definition

cop·per (käp′ər)

noun pl. -·per or -·pers

  1. a reddish-brown, malleable, ductile, metallic element that is corrosion-resistant and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat: symbol, Cu; at. no., 29
  2. Now Chiefly Brit.
    1. a coin of copper or bronze, as a penny
    2. a large metal container or boiler, orig. of copper
  3. the color of copper; reddish brown
  4. any of various small, copper-colored butterflies (family Lycaenidae) found in temperate regions

Etymology: ME & OE coper < LL cuprum, contr. < Cyprium (aes), Cyprian (brass), copper, after Gr Kyprios, Cyprus, noted for its copper mines

adjective

  1. of copper
  2. copper-colored; reddish-brown

transitive verb

  1. to cover or coat with copper
  2. ☆

    Etymology: from use of a copper coin to indicate such a bet in faro

    Slang to bet against (another's bet)

copper¹ Related Forms

cop′·pery adjective

copper² Definition

cop·per (käp′ər)

noun

Slang a policeman

Etymology: prob. < cop

copper Finance Definition

One of the world’s oldest known commodities and the world’s third most widely used metal, after iron and aluminum. It is used in highly cyclical industries such as construction and industrial machinery manufacturing, which ties its price direction to the state of the world economy. Chile is the world’s largest copper producer.

The largest futures and options market for copper is the London Metal Exchange (LME), where a variety of copper contracts trade. Three-months copper is the benchmark issue. The name “three-month” comes from the delay that it took to ship copper mined in Chile to London when trading began on the LME. The forerunner to the LME was the Royal Exchange that began in 1571 when metals traders first began to meet on a regular basis. In 1877, the London Metal Market and Exchange Company was formed as a direct result of Britain’s industrial revolution of the 19th century.

Copper futures also are traded on the Comex Division of the New York Mercan-tile Exchange, where the trading symbol is HG, as well as on other exchanges around the world.

copper (Cu) Telecom Definition

A reddish-brown metallic element that is highly malleable, ductile, corrosion-resistant, and is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. Only silver is a better conductor of electricity at room temperature. Copper is extensively used in electrical cables. Copper has an atomic number of 29.

copper Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • insulate: A calorifier is am insulated copper ( sometime stainless steel ) tank that is used to heat up water.
  • dissolve: Dissolved copper enriched solution is circulated to the machine and a current is connected to form an electrolytic cell.
  • expose: Apply silicone grease to all the exposed copper at the end of the cable.
  • contain: Nine carat, in particular, contains more copper than gold.

Adjective modifier

  • bent: Now in the books John Reid is the bent copper in A Good Year For The Roses.
  • pure: To obtain the rare, pure copper requires smelting, leaching, or electrolysis.
  • polished: The pits are made from solid, polished copper with their elegant stands being made from cast iron.
  • bare: Otherwise bare copper or silver are rare in electronic systems and are not normally considered to be at risk.
  • antique: A fantastic English antique Victorian copper hot water bottle or bed warmer, with original early celluloid plastic screw top.
  • tough: Figure 2 Typical effect of the extent of previous cold work on the annealing behavior of tough pitch copper Cu-ETP.

Modifies a noun

  • alloy: The Far East, too, realized the advantage of using copper alloys by the Eastern Zhou period.
  • sulfate: With copper finish ( I use weak copper sulfate ), apply without cleaning off flux.
  • ore: The networked lifeboats will never be able to use copper ore where the grade is measured in ppm.
  • wire: In mine there was a piece of stiff copper wire about 3 " long - the aerial.
  • beech: And others, like the purple pigment in copper beech leaves, help protect the plant from damage by UV.
  • mine: At around the same time a copper mine opened in the hills to the east.

Noun used with modifier

  • conductivity: High conductivity copper is the most common form of the metal available.
  • diameter: These are carried by tubing, usually PVC coated 1/4 or 3/8 inch diameter copper tubing.
  • %: Cathode Copper The end product of most copper refining processes is in the form of cathodes which commonly contain more than 99.9 % copper.
  • cast: James Gibbs chose cast copper sash windows in 1750 for what is now Warrington Town Hall.