(US, historical) The state of being a Copperhead; sympathy in the North for Southern secessionists during the American Civil War.
Republican prosecutors accused some prominent Copperheads of treason in a series of trials in 1864.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperhead_(politics)#cite_note-3) Copperheadism was a highly contentious [grass…
Copperheadism was a highly contentious [grassroots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots "Grassroots") movement.
(US, historical) The state of being a Copperhead; sympathy in the North for Southern secessionists during the American Civil War.
Copperheadism is a historical American political term referring to Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War. Mostly used in historical and academic contexts. Not concerning. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Copperheadism is a historical American political term referring to Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War. Mostly used in historical and academic contexts. Not concerning. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(US, historical, slang) A northerner who sympathized with the South or wanted to end hostilities during the American Civil War.
(US, historical, pejorative) Any member of the Democratic party.
(US, historical, sometimes) The states which created the Confederacy during the American Civil War, as contrasted with those that joined afterward.
(US, dated, slang) A Confederate who moved to another country following the American Civil War, rather than live in a reunited United States.
Copperheadism is a historical American political term referring to the doctrine of Northern Democrats during the US Civil War who opposed the war and advocated for negotiated peace with the Confederacy. Use in historical and academic writing. Formal equivalent: "the Copperhead political faction." Common non-native mistake: confusing with the snake (also called copperhead). In political contexts the meaning is historical. Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.
“Republican prosecutors accused some prominent Copperheads of treason in a series of trials in 1864.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperhead_(politics)#cite_note-3) Copperheadism was a highly contentious [grassroots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots "Grassroots") movement.”
“Copperheadism was a highly contentious [grassroots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots "Grassroots") movement.”
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(US, historical) An extreme partisan for the South before the US Civil War.