fly the coop
noun
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. a prison.
4.
Sometimes Facetious. a cooperative, especially the cooperative bookstore of a college or university.
verb (used with object)
5.
to place in or as if in a coop; confine narrowly (often followed by up or in ).
00:10
Fly the coop
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
verb (used without object)
Idioms 6.
Slang. (of a police officer) to park and sleep inside one's patrol car while on duty.
7.
fly the coop, Informal. to run off; depart abruptly; escape: We stopped to see my sister, but she'd flown the coop.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To fly the coop
Collins
World English Dictionary
coop1 (kuːp) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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 |
| —vb | |
| 4. | (tr; |
| [C15: probably from Middle Low German kūpe basket, tub; related to Latin cūpa cask, vat] | |
| coop or co-op2 (ˈkəʊˌɒp) | |
| —n | |
| a cooperative, cooperative society, or shop run by a cooperative society | |
| co-op or co-op2 | |
| —n | |
| coop3 | |
| —the internet domain name for | |
| a cooperative | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
coop
O.E. cype, cypa "basket, cask," akin to M.Du. kupe, probably from L. cupa "tub, cask," from PIE *keup- "hollow mound." The verb is attested from 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
fly the coop definition
To get away or escape: “The Hendersons found the cocktail party rather dull and decided to fly the coop.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
fly the coop definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| coop cooperative |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
fly the coop
Escape, run away, as in After years of fighting with my mother, my father finally flew the coop. This term originally meant "escape from jail," known as the coop in underworld slang since the late 1700s. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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