copperas
copperas noun: any of various metallic sulphates formed from the reaction of sulfur with iron, zinc, or copper, especially (alchemy) solutions of such compounds misunderstood as a mediator or catalyst for the transmutation of iron into copper &c.
Noun
copperas (usually uncountable, plural copperases)
- Any of various metallic sulphates formed from the reaction of sulfur with iron, zinc, or copper, especially (alchemy) solutions of such compounds misunderstood as a mediator or catalyst for the transmutation of iron into copper &c.
- The ſecond way whereby bodies become blacke, is an Atramentous condition or mixture, that is a vitriolate or copperoſe quality conjoyning with a terreſtrious and aſtringent humidity, for ſo is Atramentum ſcriptorium, or writing Inke commonly made, by copperoſe caſt upon decoction or infuſion of...1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Book 6, Chapter XII: "A Digression Concerning Blacknesse", p. 336
- There is a Copperas of England, of Pisa, Germany, Cyprus, Hungary, and Italy, which only differ from each other in Colour and Perfection... The English Copperas is of a fine green; that of Cyprus and Hungary a sky-blue.1728, E. Chambers, Cyclopaedia, s.v. "Copperas"
- Synonym of iron(II) sulfate.
- It were superfluous to describe the Process of making the Aqua fortis; it shall suffice to let you know, that our common Coperas makes this Aquafortis well enough for our purpose[…]1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC
- […] what a change has introduced itself everywhere into human affairs! How human affairs shall now circulate everywhere not healthy life-blood in them, but, as it were, a detestable copperas banker’s ink;1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. 6, Monk Samson”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk)
- Synonyms:
- iron(II) sulfate
copperas meaning in Tamil
copperas in Tamil
- கொப்பரசு
Synonyms of copperas
Forms of copperas
| plural | copperases |
|---|---|
| alternative form | coperas |
| alternative form | copperose |
Origin of copperas
From Middle English coperas, coperose (“any metallic sulfate”), from Medieval Latin cuprosa directly or via Old French coperose, from Medieval Latin aqua cuprosa (“cupreous water”), from Latin cuprum (“copper”) + -osa (“-ose: forming related adjectives”). Fanciful derivations from cupreous terms involving Latin rosa (“rose”) are mistaken.
Words formed from copperas
- blue copperas
- green copperas
- white copperas
- yellow copperas
Phrases with copperas
Questions about copperas
- What does copperas mean?
- Copperas means any of various metallic sulphates formed from the reaction of sulfur with iron, zinc, or copper, especially (alchemy) solutions of such compounds misunderstood as a mediator or catalyst for the transmutation of iron into copper &c.
- What is copperas in Tamil?
- Copperas in Tamil is கொப்பரசு. See Copperas meaning in Tamil.
- What part of speech is copperas?
- Copperas is a noun.
- What is the plural of copperas?
- The plural of copperas is copperases.
Words near copperas in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: copperas (page history and authors); copperas (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “copperas.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/copperas. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.