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cop¹

(kŏp)

n.
Informal

1. A police officer.

2. One that regulates certain behaviors or actions: "Faced with the world recession of the early 1980s, ... the World Bank ... became a stern economic taskmaster and cop" (Richard J. Barnet).

[Short for COPPER².]

cop²

(kŏp) Slang

tr.v. copped, cop·ping, cops

a. To get hold of; gain or win: a show that copped four awards; copped a ticket to the game.

b. To perceive by one of the senses: "copped a quick look at the gentleman ... on the right" (Gail Sheehy).

2. To take unlawfully or without permission; steal.

Phrasal Verb:

cop out

To avoid fulfilling a commitment or responsibility; renege: copped out on my friends; copped out by ducking the issue.

Idioms:

cop a feel

To fondle someone sexually in a surreptitious way.

cop a plea

To plead guilty to a lesser charge so as to avoid standing trial for a more serious charge.

[Probably variant of cap, to catch, from Old French caper, from Latin capere; see CAPTURE.]

cop³

(kŏp)

1. A cone-shaped or cylindrical roll of yarn or thread wound on a spindle.

2. Chiefly British A summit or crest, as of a hill.

[Middle English, summit, from Old English.]

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cop3

Cop.

abbr.

Coptic

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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