coop

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈküp  ˈku̇p 

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 

kō-ˈäp

: cooperative

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• cooler
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jail
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• jug
• lockup
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

Verb

• box (in)
• cage
• closet
• corral
• encage
• encase
• enclose
• inclose
• envelop
• fence (in)
• hedge
• hem (in)
• house
• immure
• include
• mew (up)
• pen
• wall (in)

Examples of coop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kate suggests building a shelf dedicated to catching chicken droppings, keeping the main floor of the coop clean and your sanitation duties a breeze. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

In addition to the new building, the funding would be used to upgrade UMES' vet facilities, especially the farm that features small ruminant animals including sheep, goats, and a chicken coop. —USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024

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

Phrases Containing coop

• coop up
• fly the coop

Kids Definition

coop

1 of 3 noun

ˈküp  ˈku̇p 

: 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

: cooperative entry 2