A person who makes or repairs wooden casks, barrels, or buckets; also spelled 'cooper'.
From Middle English 'cowper,' likely from Old Dutch 'kuper' (barrel maker). The term became particularly associated with William Cowper, the 18th-century English poet, making it also function as a surname.
The cowper (or cooper) was one of the most important tradespeople in pre-industrial societies—without skilled barrel makers, there would be no way to store or transport wine, beer, grain, or fish, making them essential to commerce and survival.
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