Obs. Forms: see below. [A word of obscure origin and history, appearing also in the form copping- and copid tank, with the related adjs. coptanct and copple-tanked. Apparently the same word also occurs in Shaks. (1st fol.) as COPATAIN.
Nothing similar is known in Dutch or the Romanic langs.; although L. capitāneus chief in size, large, or capitium, caputium head-covering, cap, Du. kop top, head, have been suggested as more or less possible explanations of part of the word. That it is really connected with the English group cop, copped, copple, is favored by the variants, and by Horman’s use of coppid cappis in the same sense as the coppid-, copping-, copin-tankes of the quots. But tank still remains unexplained. Our actual word tank is out of the question, being of recent introduction from India; of tankard no simple form tank is known.]
A high-crowned hat of the form of a sugar-loaf.
(Cf. 1519. Horman, Vulgaria, 111/1. Sometyme men were coppid cappis like a sugar lofe.)
α. In form copin-, copyn-, coppin-, (copping-), copentank(e, -tancke, coppentante.
1508. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), I. 38. Do on your Decke Slut: if ye purpos to come oft. I mean your Copyntanke: And if it wyl do no goode, To kepe you from the rayne, ye shall haue a foles hode.
c. 1525. Image Ipocr., Skelton’s Wks. II. 429. For nowe the tyme falles To speake of cardinalles … With ther coppentante They loke adutante.
1555. Fardle Facions, II. vii. 160. Thei cary … on their heades a copintancke, embattled aboute like a turrette.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1583), 2056. On his head a coppyng tanke.
1570. G. Gilpin, trans. Marnix’s Beehive Rom. Ch., I. xii. I vijb. Then should come in the doctours of Loven with their great coppin-tankes [Dutch haere grote Toten] and doctours hattes.
1576. Gascoigne, Delicate Diet (1792), 18. Of … a Turkie bonnet [we make] a copentank for Caiphas.
1584. T. Hudson, trans. Du Bartas’ Judith, III. 19 (1641), 364. Joyn’d with the men of … Armania With coppintanks [chef cresté].
β. cop(p)id tank.
1562. Phaër, Æneid, VIII. (1588), L iv. The Salij praunsing Priests, with mitred crownes and coppid tancks.
1580. North, Plutarch, Antonius (1595), 994. In a long gown after the fashion of the Medes with a high copped tanke hat on his head narrow in the toppe [auec un hault chappeau pointu sur la teste, dont la pointe estoit droitte].
1585. J. Higins, trans. Junius’ Nomenclator, 165. Apex … a suger loafe hat; a coppid tanke hat.
γ. coptank, coptanct. (The examples are attrib.; the form in -t may be adj. = coptanked: cf. below.)
1575. Gascoigne, Herbes, Wks. (1587), 154. A coptanke [v.r. coptankt] hat made on a Flemish block.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 578. A high coptanct Hat. Ibid., 774. With a high coptank Hat on his head, narrow in the top, as the Kings of the Medes … do use to wear them.
b. A high peaked head; = COP-HEAD 1.
1585. J. Higins, trans. Junius’ Nomenclator, 449. Cilo … One that hath a heade with a sharpe crowne, or fashioned like a sugerlofe: a copid tanke.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 47. Ulysses revileth not Thersites with these termes … Thou bald pate, thou coptank [cf. Iliad, II. 219 φοξὸς ἔην κεφαλήν].
Hence Copping-tanked, also Copple-tanked a., (of a hat or head) high-peaked.
1586. Ferne, Blaz. Gentrie, 159. On their heades coppinge tanked hattes.
1596. Danett, trans. Comines, 10. Vpon their heads they [the Burgundians] ware felt-hats, copletanked, a quarter of an ell high or more.
