cop

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkäp

plural cops

Synonyms of cop next

informal

: police officer

They called the cops to report a robbery.

As he awaits trial, the retired cop is on the other side of the law.—

Michael Wilson

… the department invests in officers and their futures by providing training that makes them better cops.—

Laura Lane

cop

2 of 4

verb

copped; copping

transitive verb

slang : to get hold of : catch, capture

also : purchase

slang : steal, swipe

: adopt sense 2

cop an attitude

intransitive verb

slang : admit sense 2b

—used with to

these small-timers would … cop to the smallest offense their attorney could negotiate—

Tom Clancy

cop

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural cops

: a cylindrical or conical mass of thread, yarn, or roving wound on a quill or tube

a cop of yarn

also : a quill or tube upon which it is wound

archaic, dialectal, chiefly England : top, crest

cop

4 of 4

abbreviation

copper

copulative

copy

Phrases

cop a plea

: to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid standing trial for a more serious one

broadly : to admit fault and plead for mercy

Examples of cop in a Sentence

Noun (1) a cop stopped her for speeding Verb I managed to cop an invitation. He copped the idea from me. They expected me to cop all the blame! He copped the full force of the blow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

His guests have included everyone from comedians Shane Gillis and Nikki Glaser to non-celebrities such as a mall cop and school lunch lady. —

Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024 The color should be much colder and bluer for the cop show and warmer for Willis. —

Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024

Verb

So where will fans have the best shot at copping seats? —

Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 19 Nov. 2024 The Miuccia Sneaker Missed your chance to cop New Balance x Miu Miu’s covetable sneaker collab? —

Laura Jackson, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cop

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for copper entry 3

Verb

perhaps from Dutch kapen to steal, from Frisian kāpia to buy; akin to Old High German kouf trade — more at cheap entry 3

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English copp

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1859, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of cop was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cop. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

cop

1 of 2 verb

ˈkäp

copped; copping

slang : to get hold of : capture entry 2 sense 1a

slang : steal entry 1 sense 2a

: adopt sense 2

cop an attitude

cop

2 of 2 noun

informal

: police officer

Etymology

Verb

probably from Dutch kapen "to steal"

Last Updated: 26 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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cop

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

abbreviation

Synonyms

Examples of cop in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near cop

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition