1
: a cage or small enclosure (as for poultry)
also : a small building for housing poultry
2
a
: a confined area
b
: jail

coop

2 of 3

verb

cooped; cooping; coops

transitive verb

1
: to confine in a restricted and often crowded area
usually used with up
children cooped up in the house all day
2
: to place or keep in a coop : pen
often used with up

co-op

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˈkō-ˌäp How to pronounce co-op (audio)
kō-ˈäp

Examples of coop in a Sentence

Noun (1) was thrown in the coop for disturbing the peace a chicken coop Verb restless kids cooped up in the house on a rainy day
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
CoreWeave’s chicken coop days gave it a good foundation for that skillset. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Your local university coop extension service can help (find yours here). Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Instead of battling for an all-star berth in his final Little League season or attending Don Mattingly Bobblehead Night at Yankee Stadium, he’s been forced to spend the spring cooped up in a neighborhood where ambulance sirens have wailed nonstop. Brendan I. Koerner, Wired, 19 May 2020 Three relative strangers cooped up underground indefinitely to avoid an unseen danger, who don't entirely trust each other? Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 May 2020
Noun
Substantial support continued until 2017, when StarCraft 2 fully embraced a free-to-play model for its base multiplayer and co-op modes, as well as the Wings of Liberty chapter of the campaign. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Modern features like online play and co-op mode are coming, but the team is focused on maintaining the classic franchise’s DNA evident in its football hit. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coop

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cupe; akin to Old English cȳpe basket

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coop was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coop. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

coop

1 of 3 noun
: a cage or small enclosure or building for housing poultry or small animals

coop

2 of 3 verb
: to place or keep in or as if in a coop

co-op

3 of 3 noun
ˈkō-ˌäp,
kō-ˈäp

More from Merriam-Webster on coop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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