cope

1 of 4

verb (1)

coped; coping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties
often used with with
learning to cope with the demands of her schedule
b
: to maintain a contest or combat usually on even terms or with success
used with with
2
archaic : meet, encounter
3
obsolete : strike, fight

transitive verb

1
obsolete : to meet in combat
2
obsolete : to come in contact with
3
obsolete : match

cope

2 of 4

noun

1
: a long enveloping ecclesiastical vestment
The priest wore a cope for the benediction.
2
a
: something resembling a cope (as by concealing or covering)
… the dark sky's starry copeP. B. Shelley
b
: coping

cope

3 of 4

verb (2)

coped; coping

transitive verb

: to cover or furnish with a cope

cope

4 of 4

verb (3)

coped; coping

transitive verb

1
: to shape (a structural member) to fit a coping or conform to the shape of another member
2
: notch

Examples of cope in a Sentence

Noun committed their nefarious deeds under the dark cope of night
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
If your goal is to find effective ways to cope with your frustration, therapy would help to lead you there. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023 Maksym, who has attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has struggled to cope and has been having anxiety attacks, said his mother, Maryna Honcharova. Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Her most popular posts chronicle the challenges and excitement of coping with polar night, including taking vitamin D supplements, bathing in icy water and making her cabin as cozy as possible. Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023 That ability to cope with uncertainty makes these algorithms useful for real-world conundrums, like managing memory on a laptop or choosing which ads to display to people who browse the web. Madison Goldberg, Quanta Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023 Read on to learn what nocturnal polyuria is, including symptoms, causes, ways to cope, and more. Sarah Bradley, Health, 17 Nov. 2023 Since impulsive pulling or picking can be a way of trying to cope with tough emotions, adding a layer of stress to the mix might make a person engage in these actions more often. Zahra Barnes, SELF, 14 Nov. 2023 Meanwhile in Texas, Ms. Feldman, a writer, turns to a familiar tool to cope. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2023 Rykers said the contest’s email verification system has been struggling to cope with the surge in votes prompted by Oliver’s campaign. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023
Noun
The set sold 43,000 copes in the U.S. in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Three years of preparatory work had set the stage for an extraordinary five-hour pageant, as 2,500 Catholic bishops, each vested in white cope and miter, processed into the Vatican basilica. George Weigel, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cope.' 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

Verb (1)

Middle English copen, coupen, from Anglo-French couper to strike, cut, from cop, colp blow, from Late Latin colpus, alteration of Latin colaphus, from Greek kolaphos buffet

Noun and Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English -cāp, from Late Latin cappa head covering

Verb (3)

probably from French couper to cut

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

circa 1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cope was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cope

Cite this Entry

“Cope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cope. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

cope

1 of 2 noun
: a long vestment that is worn like a cape by a priest or bishop

cope

2 of 2 verb
coped; coping
: to struggle or try to manage especially with some success
cope with a situation
Etymology

Noun

Old English -cap "long vestment, cope," from Latin cappa "head covering" — related to cape entry 2

Verb

from earlier cope "to strike, fight, engage in a struggle," from Middle English copen "to strike, fight," from early French couper "to strike, cut," from earlier cop "a blow" — related to coup, coupon

Medical Definition

cope

1 of 2 intransitive verb
coped; coping
: to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties
usually used with with
helping children cope with grief

COPE

2 of 2 abbreviation
chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema

More from Merriam-Webster on cope

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