cop

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkäp 

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 negotiate.

—Tom Clancy

see also:

cop a plea

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

Synonyms of cop

Noun (1)

• policeman
• officer
• constable

Verb

• buy
• purchase

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

Noun

Prosecutors revealed Davis’ admittedly big mouth had been opening to investigators since 1998 – only two years after Shakur was gunned down – in a series of secret interviews trying to minimize his own legal damage by giving information to the cops. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

McIntosh was arrested near the scene a short time later, cops said. — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Unfortunately, unless the plans change, only the first 1,350 fans at the Woodpeckers' game on August 15 will be able to cop them. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Even bands who never heard of this guy ended up copping his tricks. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026

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)

1858, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

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

Phrases Containing cop

• cop a feel
• cop an attitude
• cop a plea
• cop hold of
• cop it
• cop off with
• cop-out
• cop shop
• cop to
• it's a fair cop
• not much cop
• rent-a-cop
• traffic cop

Rhymes for cop

• bop
• chop
• crop
• drop
• flop
• fop
• hop
• knop
• lop
• mop
• op
• plop

Kids Definition

cop

1 of 2 verb

ˈkäp 

copped; copping

1

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

2

slang : steal entry 1 sense 2a

3

: adopt sense 2

cop an attitude

cop

2 of 2 noun

informal

: police officer

Etymology

Verb

probably from Dutch kapen "to steal"