coop

UK: /ˈkuːp/ US: (ko̅o̅p, kŏŏp)

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

coop / kuːp/ noun

1. a cage or small enclosure for poultry or small animals
2. a small narrow place of confinement, esp a prison cell
3. a wicker basket for catching fish

verb

1. (tr; often followed by up or in) to confine in a restricted area

Etymology: 15th Century: probably from Middle Low German kūpe basket, tub; related to Latin cūpa cask, vat

coop, co-op / ˈkəʊˌɒp/ noun

1. a cooperative, cooperative society, or shop run by a cooperative society

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

co-op /ˈkoʊɑp/   n. [countable]

1. a cooperative business, building, or apartment:
   The apartment building is now a co-op.

coop /kup, kʊp/   n. [countable]

1. a cage in which poultry are penned.
2. Slang Terms Slang. prison.

v. [~ + object]

3. to place in or as if in a coop:
   The parents had cooped the children in the attic all day.
   [~ + up + object]
   They cooped up the chickens in the barn.
   [~ + object + up]
   They cooped me up in this tiny cell.

Idioms

4. Idioms, Informal Terms fly the coop, to leave or depart abruptly:
   The police were too late; the crooks had flown the coop.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

co-op  (n., adv. kō′op;v. kō′op, kō op′), n., v., -oped, -op•ing, adv. 
n. 

1. a cooperative store, dwelling, program, etc.

v.t. 

2. to place in a cooperative arrangement, esp. to convert (an apartment or building) to a cooperative.

adv. 

3. Idioms go co-op, to convert to a cooperative:
   Our apartment building is going co-op.

• shortened form 1860–65

co′-op•er, n. 

coop  (ko̅o̅p, kŏŏp), n. 

1. an enclosure, cage, or pen, usually with bars or wires, in which fowls or other small animals are confined for fattening, transportation, etc.
2. any small or narrow place.
3. Slang Terms a prison.
4. Slang Terms [Sometimes Facetious.] a cooperative, esp. the cooperative bookstore of a college or university.
5. fly the coop, [Informal.] to run off;
   depart abruptly;
   escape:
   We stopped to see my sister, but she'd flown the coop.

v.t. 

6. to place in or as if in a coop;
   confine narrowly (often fol. by up or in).

v.i. 

7. Slang Terms (of a police officer) to park and sleep inside one's patrol car while on duty.

• Scandinavian; compare Norwegian kaup wooden can; akin to Old English cȳpa basket
• Middle English coupe basket, perh. 1250–1300

coop., 

1. cooperative.

Also, co-op.