Confining or shutting up animals or people in a small, enclosed space (often 'cooping up').
From 'coop' (a cage or confined space, possibly from Dutch 'koop' meaning to buy or cage). The '-ing' suffix creates the present participle or gerund form.
The phrase 'cooped up' became popular in the 19th century, but its origins go back to hencoops and chicken cages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this ancient word suddenly became central to describing human experience as people spent months confined at home.
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