/kop"euhr hed'/ , n.
1. a venomous snake, Agkistrodon ( Ancistrodon ) contortrix, of the eastern and southern U.S., having a light-brown to copper-red body marked with darker bands.
2. an extremely venomous but sluggish snake, Denisonia superba, of Australia and Tasmania, having a reddish to black body, depending on the region.
3. ( cap. ) U.S. Hist. a Northern Democrat who opposed the Civil War, advocating peace and restoration of the Union even if slavery continued.
4. ( cap. ) Mil. a finned, 155mm cannon-launched U.S. Army artillery shell that homes on the target, using the reflection of a laser beam projected by a forward observer.
[ 1765-75, Amer.; COPPER 1 + HEAD ]