Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

copper-bottomed

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables
cop-per-bot-tomed
IPA
25
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

adj

Thoroughly reliable; secure.

British usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the copper sheathing applied to the bottom of a wooden ship to prevent damage from marine organisms. In literal sense 18th century, in figurative sense attested since at least 1807. The British idiomatic use comes from the fact that with Britain being a major naval power, there was always a ready market for copper in ship construction, making it a reliable commodity to invest in.

Usage

Inflected Forms

more copper-bottomed (comparative) most copper-bottomed (superlative)

Phrases

gilt-edged

Frequently Paired Words

copperfasten coppered gilt-edged

Questions

What does copper-bottomed mean?
Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.
Where does copper-bottomed come from?
From the copper sheathing applied to the bottom of a wooden ship to prevent damage from marine organisms. In literal sense 18th century, in figurative sense attested since at least 1807. The British idiomatic use comes from the fact that with Britain being a major naval power, there was always a ready market for copper in ship construction, making it a reliable commodity to invest in.

How to pronounce copper-bottomed

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “copper-bottomed”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “copper-bottomed” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.