Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. spoilt, adulterated, tampered with, worn out.

1859		Salisbury & Winchester Jrnl 15 Oct. 7/4: Beggars’ Marks [...] Coopered (spoiled) by too many tramps calling here.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 259/2: I was a muck-swipe when I was there – why, a muck-swipe, sir, is a regularly done up, coopered, and humped altogether. [Ibid.] 351/2: The ring-dropping ‘lurk’ is now carried on this way, for the old style is ‘coopered’.
1876		Besant & Rice Son of a Vulcan I 218: The cove wasn’t at home, and the slavey’d been changed, and the ken coopered.
1882		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 29 Sept. 7/4: Going up there? It’s coopered! Better save yourself a journey.
1884		Dundee Courier 13 June 7/5: There’s a good old parson in this village [...] said to be bone for a bob; if he’s not been coopered.
1891		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 15 Oct. 6/3: The business will put a ‘quid’ or a ‘thick un’ or a ‘James’ in their ‘clyes,’ that is, if the ‘bossman’ hasn’t been ‘coopered’ (i.e. spoilt — learnt wisdom).
1907		D. Stewart Shadows of the Night in Illus. Police News 20 July 12/4: ‘I want some cash, for I’ve been coopered (spoilt) in several jobs lately’.

2. defeated, overcome.

1884

Randiana 45: Nothing flabbergasts him like facts. Once get him in a corner and he’s completely coopered.

3. drunk.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 252/2: late C.19–early 20.