The etymology of copious refers us to the Latin word copiōsus. The concept is used as an adjective to qualify that which is excessive, profuse or abundant.
For example: “In the hotel where we stayed in Punta Cana they served us a copious breakfast, ideal to start the day with a lot of energy”, “I still haven’t had time to study the copious file of this employee, so I haven’t taken no decision”, “Observing the wounded man, the doctor was concerned about the copious bleeding and decided to transfer him immediately to the hospital”.
If we analyze the examples mentioned, we can understand precisely what the idea of copious refers to. A “hearty breakfast” ; in this context, it is one that includes a wide variety and quantity of food: milk, coffee, juice (juice), fresh fruits, cereals, cookies, etc. A “copious file”, on the other hand, is made up of many sheets that detail the background of the worker in question. Finally, “copious bleeding” refers to a loss of blood that does not stop and, therefore, puts the person’s life at risk.
According to abbreviationfinder.org, the copious, in short, is something numerous, nourished or exaggerated. If the police enter the shelter of a gang of criminals and find eight machine guns, ten revolvers, five knives and two grenades, it can be said that these criminals had a “plentiful arsenal”. A writer who is mentioned as a “profuse contributor” to his city ‘s newspapers and magazines is someone who frequently publishes various articles and columns in the media.
On the other hand, there is the idea of copious rain, an expression that is often used to refer to abundant rain, of a large volume and that falls at a constant rate. In this case, unlike some of the previous examples, the term can have a positive or negative connotation, depending on the part of the world where the precipitation occurs.
If we focus on a large city with the necessary infrastructure to deal with a heavy rain, which can last several days, then it will simply be a period of time in which the inhabitants find certain difficulties to move around and fulfill their obligations. Let’s not forget that by infrastructure we understand a series of endowments, services or elements that serve so that any social organization, such as a city or a country, works properly.
On the other hand, if heavy rain falls in a region that is not prepared to withstand large volumes of water for several days, it will probably cause flooding, with the inevitable destruction and accidents that are usually associated with these situations. For example, in the context of a flood it is common for certain buildings to deteriorate or collapse, for many cars to be swept away by the current, for educational activities to be interrupted and for there to be power cuts, among many other disorders.
In a similar way to rain, the copious adjective also serves to describe the intensity of crying, specifically tears: «At the news of death, copious tears welled up and he fell onto the bed, where he stayed for several hours».
The term copious has several synonyms, some of which are used more frequently in everyday speech, such as the following: nourished, large, abundant, rich, filled, numerous and considerable. With respect to its most common antonym, scarce, it can also be used to adjectivize the noun rain, although not in everyday speech, but in the field of meteorology: « Cloudy intervals are forecast for tomorrow throughout the day, with rain scant in the afternoon.
