Cooper Union coo·pe·ru·nion uncommon noun 1. university founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper to offer free courses in the arts and sciences SynonymsCooper UnionCooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Ar Related words Word family Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Ar Broader terms university Parts New York WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.