Coppered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be covered or plated with a reddish metal known for its excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance
2. To have been finished with a layer of a metallic substance that is both pliable and a good conductor of electricity and heat
3. Having a surface layer of copper applied over another material for protection or decoration

Etymology: Copper's name is older than the metal's English use would suggest, because it traces back to the island of Cyprus. The Latin "cuprum" is a contraction of "aes Cyprium," meaning "Cyprian bronze," and the island was a major copper source during the Bronze Age. Behind the island's Greek name, "Kŭpros," lies a Northwest Semitic goddess whose name is linked to a root meaning large or great. English took the noun from Old English "copor," and the verb "coppered" is simply that noun put to work: to cover something with a thin layer of the metal. The past form describes an object that has already received the coating, such as a hull sheathed to protect it from shipworms.

Synonyms: coated, plated, covered, tinned, sheathed

Antonyms: uncovered, bare, exposed, naked, uncoated