Copperplated

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Covered with a thin layer of copper, usually applied by electroplating to give a metal surface a reddish metallic finish
2. Having been coated with a thin film of copper through a plating process that gives an object a bright reddish sheen
3. Finished with a deposit of copper over the surface of an item, often to improve its appearance or resistance to corrosion

Etymology: Copperplate began as a plain technical term for a sheet of copper prepared for engraving. From the 1660s it named the engraving plate itself, and by 1817 it had come to mean the printed impression pulled from that plate. The style of handwriting now associated with it arrived later, in the 1820s, when the especially clear, ornate script used in such prints gave its name to fine penmanship. The word is a straightforward compound of "copper" and "plate", so its history lies in what each part meant. A plate, in this sense, is a flat sheet of metal, and copper was prized for engraving because it takes a sharp, fine line. The verb, meaning to coat or cover with a layer of copper or to engrave on copper, dates from 1822 and simply turns the noun into an action. "Copperplated" is the past form of that verb, describing something that has been treated or engraved in this way.

Synonyms: plated