coop

Definition

A basket, pen or enclosure for birds or small animals.

Etymology

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”.

Example Sentences

• "Poorly ventilated coops are likely to result in losses by suffocation, particularly during hot weather, when the coops are overcrowded. The bottom of the coop should be built solid of one-half-inch boards to prevent the birds' toes from sticking through and being injured."
• ""Well," said Calvin, "we could go over to the chicken coop this afternoon when all the hens are inside laying eggs. We might find some clues.""
• "With this collection of 14 coop designs, our hope is to expand the definition of what a chicken coop is or could be. Surely, building more time-tested coop structures would be sufficient, and we love the traditional coops out there. […] How can chicken coops better serve users in the contemporary world? How can they look and function differently? What kinds of materials can be used? Can chicken coops be treated like a piece of outdoor furniture? Can chicken coops serve multiple purposes in a well-functioning small urban farm?"