coppice

1 of 2

noun

cop·​pice ˈkä-pəs How to pronounce coppice (audio)
1
: copse
2
: forest originating mainly from shoots or root suckers rather than seed
an oak coppice

coppice

2 of 2

verb

coppiced; coppicing

transitive verb

: to cut back so as to regrow in the form of a coppice

intransitive verb

: to form a coppice
specifically, of a tree : to sprout freely from the base

Examples of coppice in a Sentence

Noun the deer bounded off into the coppice
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The two most straightforward of the trials will involve large-scale planting of trees and bioenergy crops, including Miscanthus grasses and coppice willow, reports Robert Lea for AZoCleanTech. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2021 Another strategy, called short rotation coppice, involves planting fast-growing trees such as willows and poplars in extremely dense rows. Eric Toensmeier, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2020 Likewise green peas, which require space, time, and handsome hazel branches from one’s own woodland coppice in order to yield more than a handful. Charlotte Mendelson, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coppice.' 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

Noun

Middle English copies cutover area overgrown with brush, from Middle French copeis, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *colpaticium, from *colpare to cut, from Late Latin colpus blow — more at cope entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of coppice was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near coppice

Cite this Entry

“Coppice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coppice. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coppice

noun
cop·​pice
ˈkäp-əs
: a thicket, grove, or growth of small trees

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