late 14c., coppes, "small thicket of trees and brushes grown for periodic cutting for fuel," from Old French copeiz, coupeiz "a cut-over forest," from Vulgar Latin *colpaticium "having been cut," ultimately from Latin colaphus "a blow with the fist," from Greek kolaphos "blow, cuff" (see coup).
Entries linking to coppice
coup n.
c. 1400, "a blow" (obsolete), from Old French coup, colp "a blow, strike" (12c.), from Medieval Latin colpus, from Vulgar Latin *colapus, from Latin colaphus "a cuff, box on the ear," from Greek kolaphos "a blow, buffet, punch, slap," "a lowly word without clear etymology" [Beekes].
Meaning "a sudden decisive act" is 1852, short for coup d'etat. In Modern French the word is a workhorse, describing everything from a pat on the back to a whipping, and is used as well of thunder, gusts of wind, gunshots, and chess moves.
copse n.
1570s, "small wood grown for purposes of periodic cutting," contraction of coppice.
