copse

Everyday

1. A small group of trees growing close together; a little wood. tree →
2. A small wood where trees are regularly cut back so they regrow (also «coppice»). tree →

In the lessons

A countryside word common in British and Irish nature lessons, maps and stories. In The Wind in the Willows the river bank and fields are dotted with copses. Animals such as rabbits, foxes and pheasants shelter in a copse.

Examples

• We had our picnic in the shade of a small copse. tree →
• A fox ran into the copse at the end of the field. tree →
• Bluebells grow in the copse every spring. tree →
• The map shows a copse beside the farm. tree →
• The pheasants hid in the copse. tree →
• We played hide-and-seek among the trees of the copse. tree →

Note

Do not confuse with «corpse» (a dead body); copse has no «r». Size: copse < wood < forest.