coop
gb/kˈup/ us/kˈup/
B1
English
~ 9800
tyúkól, baromfiól, bezárva tart, bezár, sitt, dutyi, kóter
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
a coop for [animals]
They built a new coop behind the barn for their chickens.
Új tyúkólat építettek a pajta mögé a tyúkjaiknak.
The hens ran back into the coop when it started to rain.
A tyúkok visszaszaladtak a tyúkólba, amikor esni kezdett.
We clean the coop every weekend to keep the birds healthy.
A fox got into the old coop, so they had to fix the broken door.
The chicks stayed in a separate coop until they were big enough.
Learner examples
There are five chickens in the coop.
Öt tyúk van a tyúkólban.
My uncle keeps ducks in a small coop.
A nagybátyám kacsákat tart egy kis ólban.
We made a simple coop with wood and wire.
Please close the coop at night.
The birds sleep in the coop.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "coop" with "co-op" (a cooperative store or housing). "Coop" without a hyphen usually means a cage or house for chickens or other birds.
Meaning
small cage or shed for poultry
Collocations
chicken coop
|hen coop
|build a coop
|clean the coop
|inside the coop
Synonyms
chicken house (More specific; clearly refers only to chickens, while a coop can hold other small birds too.)
Antonyms
open range (Refers to animals living in a large, open area instead of being kept in a small enclosed coop.)
Themes
animals
|farming
|home
|daily_life
Definition
A small house or cage where people keep chickens or other birds on a farm.
A small cage or simple building where chickens or other poultry are kept.
VERB
B2
2
bezárva tart
B1
bezár
A2
Usage pattern:
to coop [someone/something] up (in [a place])
The kids were cooped up in the apartment all weekend because of the storm.
A vihar miatt a gyerekek egész hétvégén a lakásban voltak bezárva.
She hates being cooped up in an office for eight hours a day.
Utálja, hogy napi nyolc órán át be van zárva egy irodába.
The animals were cooped up in tiny cages before they were rescued.
After weeks of being cooped up at home, he was desperate to go for a walk.
They cooped the dog up in the laundry room while the guests arrived.
Learner examples
I feel bad for the dog; it is cooped up all day.
Sajnálom a kutyát; egész nap be van zárva.
We were cooped up in the car for ten hours.
Tíz órán át össze voltunk zárva az autóban.
She does not like being cooped up in a small room.
The birds were cooped up because it was cold outside.
After being cooped up all week, we wanted to go to the park.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "coop" without "up" in everyday speech. In modern English, this sense is most often used as "coop up" or "be cooped up," especially for people feeling stuck indoors.
Meaning
confine in a small space
Collocations
cooped up inside
|cooped up in the house
|be cooped up
|feel cooped up
|cooped up all day
Synonyms
confine (Slightly more formal and general; not limited to small spaces, while "coop" suggests a cramped or tight space.)
Antonyms
let out (Means to allow someone to leave a place, the opposite of keeping them cooped up.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To keep someone or something in a small place so they cannot go out or move freely.
To keep a person or animal in a small or closed space so they cannot move around freely, often for a long time.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
3
Usage pattern:
in the coop
He swore he’d never end up in the coop again.
Megesküdött, hogy soha többé nem kerül sittre.
The cops caught him and tossed him in the coop overnight.
A zsaruk elkapták, és éjszakára bevágták a kóterba.
After ten years in the coop, he struggled to adjust to normal life.
They joked that the tiny town jail was more like a chicken coop than a real coop.
One stupid mistake could land you in the coop.
Learner examples
He spent a night in the coop after the fight.
A verekedés után egy éjszakát a sitten töltött.
The thief does not want to go back to the coop.
A tolvaj nem akar visszakerülni a sittre.
They said his brother is in the coop for two years.
He is happy to be out of the coop now.
If you break the law, you might end up in the coop.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is common in all types of English. In modern usage it is informal, somewhat old-fashioned, and mainly found in speech, older movies, or crime stories.
Meaning
slang term for prison
Collocations
thrown in the coop
|land in the coop
|back in the coop
|out of the coop
Synonyms
jail (The standard, neutral word; "coop" is informal, somewhat old-fashioned slang.)
Antonyms
freedom (Being free and not locked in prison, the opposite state of being in "the coop.")
Themes
crime
|law
Definition
An informal word for jail or prison.
Slang for a jail or prison, especially a small or local one.
Grammar
Dictionary form
coop
IPA
GB/kˈup/
US/kˈup/
Syllables & stress
coop (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (coop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: coop
- Plural: coops
Verb
- Base: coop
- 3rd Person Singular: coops
- Present Participle: cooping
- Past: cooped
Word family
Forms
coops
noun
cooping
verb
cooped
verb
Expressions
be cooped up
1/bˈi kˈupt ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
be kept in a small space
To stay in a small or closed place for a long time and not be able to go out or move freely.
Examples
- I’ve been cooped up in this office all week, and I need some fresh air.
- The kids are tired of being cooped up inside during the winter.
- She felt depressed after being cooped up at home for so long.
chicken coop
1/t͡ʃˈɪkən kˈup/
fixed phrase
small house for chickens
A small house or cage where people keep chickens.
Examples
- They built a new chicken coop at the back of the garden.
- The children like to help collect eggs from the chicken coop.
coop up
1/kˈup ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
shut someone in a small space
To keep a person or animal in a small or closed place so they cannot move around freely.
Examples
- Don’t coop the dog up in the kitchen all day; take him for a walk.
- We were cooped up in the tiny hotel room while it rained.
- The chickens are usually cooped up at night to protect them from foxes.
fly the coop
1/flˈaɪ ðə kˈup/
idiom
informal
leave or escape a place
To leave a place suddenly, especially to escape or to become independent (for example, leaving home or prison).
Examples
- As soon as he turned eighteen, he flew the coop and moved to another city.
- The prisoners flew the coop during the night when the guards were sleeping.
- By the time we got home, the kids had already flown the coop to go to a party.