1
: a member of the traditional Monophysite Christian church originating and centering in Egypt
2
: a member of a people descended from the ancient Egyptians

Word History

Etymology

Arabic qubṭ Copts, from Coptic kyptios, gyptios Egyptian, from Greek Aigyptios

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Copt was circa 1520

Dictionary Entries Near Copt

Cite this Entry

“Copt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Copt. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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