cop

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural cops
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

1
slang : to get hold of : catch, capture
also : purchase
2
slang : steal, swipe
3
: 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 negotiateTom Clancy

cop

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural cops
1
: 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
2
archaic, dialectal, chiefly England : top, crest

cop

4 of 4

abbreviation

1
copper
2
copulative
3
copy
4
copyright
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

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
Noun
In 2008, narcotics cop Matthew Zani made a contentious exit from the Detroit Police Department. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 Europe is staking its claim to be the world’s digital cop, with a series of new laws aimed at regulating the world’s biggest tech companies. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Part of the problem, a 2022 report from the inspector general’s office suggested, is that the LAPD’s advocates are essentially cops with ad hoc legal training who are out of their league arguing against practicing attorneys with law degrees and bar licenses. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Berhan was among 14 current and former East Contra Costa cops charged with various federal and state offenses last year. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 An Oklahoma school resource officer is accused of raping a student and giving alcohol to a minor, Oklahoma cops say. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Ivan Reitman Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt Curtis Hanson’s sprawling noir homage, based on James Ellroy’s wonderful novel, follows three cops (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey) tasked with solving a murder in the heart of Los Angeles. EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Read Next Pregnant mom shot to death in ‘ambush,’ Colorado cops say. Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 The latter, which shifted between taut, noir-ish cop funk and percussive turn-up anthems, remains a highlight of the rapper’s career. Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
That said, cop your friends this ski mask that makes all the difference. Anna Smoot, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 In more pretentious environments, copping at bargain basement prices might be frowned upon. Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Just a few spots down, Tony Bennett smiles next to British guitar great Jeff Beck, with beloved comedian/actor Pee Wee Herman copping a squat in the foreground. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Dec. 2023 Costco Membership cards are not transferable, but that’s not stopped people from borrowing their family members’ or friends’ to cop some savings. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 28 June 2023 Now, both tennis fans and fashion fans alike can cop Coco’s style by picking up a pair of sneakers from Gauff’s New Balance collection online. Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2023 Switch up the product, and your customers might cop from someone else. Vulture, 2 Aug. 2023 Years later, Meta copped TikTok’s format for its Reels offering on Instagram. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 4 July 2023 And there's no better way to cop some rich-kid style than at The Ben Silver Collection flagship store in Charleston. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near cop

Cite this Entry

“Cop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cop. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cop

1 of 2 verb
copped; copping
1
slang : to get hold of : capture entry 2 sense 1a
2
3
: adopt sense 2
cop an attitude

cop

2 of 2 noun
Etymology

Verb

probably from Dutch kapen "to steal"

More from Merriam-Webster on cop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!