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variants often Wop
offensive
used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a person of Italian birth or descent

Word History

Etymology

Italian dialect guappo swaggerer, tough, from Spanish guapo, probably from Middle French dialect vape, wape weak, insipid, from Latin vappa wine gone flat

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wop was in 1906

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wop. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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