coppice
/ˈkɒpɪs/ noun, verb
Forms coppices coppicing coppiced coppis
- noun A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain times for fuel or other purposes, typically managed to promote growth and ensure a reliable supply of timber. See copse.
- verb (transitive) To manage (a wooded area) sustainably, as a coppice, by periodically cutting back woody plants to promote new growth. “Her plan to coppice the woods should keep her self-sufficient in fuel indefinitely.”
- verb (intransitive) To sprout from the stump. “Few conifer species can coppice.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English copies, from Old French copeiz (“a cut-over forest”), from presumed Vulgar Latin *colpaticium (“having the quality of being cut”), from *colpāre (“to cut, strike”), from *colpus (“a blow”), from Latin colaphus (“a cuff, box on the ear”), from Ancient Greek κόλαφος (kólaphos, “a blow, slap”).
Compare typologically Russian колок (kolok) (akin коло́ть (kolótʹ)).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain times for fuel or other purposes. See Copse.
Etymology [OF. copeiz, fr. coper, couper, to cut, F. couper, fr. cop, coup, colp, a blow, F. coup, L. colaphus, fr. G. Copse, and cf. Coup, Coupee.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “coppice”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details