noun
copperhead
A Northerner who opposed the Union's war effort during the American Civil War.
The novel portrays a copperhead who opposes the Union's war effort.
Etymology
Copperhead first names a snake with a copper-colored head. During the American Civil War, opponents applied the snake’s name to Northern antiwar Democrats as an accusation of dangerous disloyalty.
More examples
- Union supporters accused the newspaper's editor of being a copperhead.
- Many copperheads called for a negotiated peace with the Confederacy.
- Her lecture examines why some Northerners became copperheads during the Civil War.
Forms
copperhead · copperheads
Similar words
- dissenter
- Describes disagreement generally, not specifically opposition to the Union's war.
- opponent
- Names anyone resisting a policy, cause, or person.