Cooper
/ˈkuː.pər/noun
A person who makes or repairs wooden barrels, casks, and similar containers.
Did you know?Coopers traditionally made vessels for wine, beer, food, and gunpowder, and their specialized craft became organized into powerful medieval guilds.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keup-
“A reconstructed root associated with a hollow or rounded vessel.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cupa
“A tub, vat, cask, or barrel.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cuparius
“A maker or seller of wooden vessels.”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-French
couper
“A cooper or maker of casks; related to coupe, a tub or cask.”
13th Century
Middle English
couper
“A craftsman who makes and repairs barrels.”
Modern English
English
cooper
“A barrel-maker or barrel-repairer.”