copra

noun

co·​pra ˈkō-prə How to pronounce copra (audio)
 also  ˈkä-
: dried coconut meat yielding coconut oil

Examples of copra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Aranui, the combination cargo-cruise ship is the island’s true lifeline, carrying supplies in on pallets, and picking up copra and coconut oil for the return journey. Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2023 Coconut oil for your skin and what to know Coconut oil is the oil pressed from fresh or dried (copra) coconut meat − the white part of the fruit. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023 In Bamford’s story, the prisoners were farming valuable copra, or coconut, used as cooking oil. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 15 Feb. 2023 The copra business imploded in the second half of the 20th century, but its legacy still defines the town. Tom Downey, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Animals that could not be easily poisoned or shot were lured with meat into a copra-drying shed and then gassed with motor-vehicle exhaust. Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022 Captain Olson told this story at the Hotel Argonaut: Smoke, which oozed through the hatches, betrayed a smoldering fire in the copra. Johnny Miller, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2018 Besides its exceptional beaches, there’s charming L'Union estate where visitors can discover some of the traditional local industries of the past such as vanilla farming, as well as witnessing the production of copra and coconut oil. Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'copra.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese, from Malayalam koppara

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of copra was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near copra

Cite this Entry

“Copra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copra. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

copra

noun
co·​pra ˈkō-prə How to pronounce copra (audio)
: dried coconut meat

More from Merriam-Webster on copra

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