A ship or vessel with a copper-sheathed bottom, or a person of low social status (archaic slang).
Compound of copper and bottom, referring literally to ships whose hulls were lined with copper sheets to prevent sea-worm damage and fouling. The slang meaning emerged in 18th-century English.
When the British Navy started coating ship bottoms with copper, it revolutionized naval warfare—copper hulls could actually sail 10% faster and lasted months longer without needing repairs, giving Britain a genuine military advantage!
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