cop
1 of 4noun (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
Michael Wilson… the department invests in officers and their futures by providing training that makes them better cops. Laura Lane
Laura Lanecop
2 of 4verb
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
Tom Clancycop
3 of 4noun (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 4abbreviation
1
copper
2
copulative
3
copy
4
copyright
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- bobby [British]
- bull [slang]
- constable [chiefly British]
- copper
- flatfoot [slang]
- fuzz
- gendarme
- lawman
- officer
- police officer
- policeman
- shamus [slang]
Verb
- buy
- pick up
- purchase
- take
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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.
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
Phrases Containing cop
Kids Definition
cop
noun
ˈkäp
: police officer
cops 1 of 2
noun
as in policemen
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level a cop stopped her for speeding Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- policemen
- officers
- constables
- sheriffs
- lawmen
- coppers
- police
- gendarmes
- police officers
- bobbies
- investigators
- detectives
- inspectors
- troopers
- patrolmen
- bulls
- policewomen
- constabularies
- sergeants
- shamuses
- fuzzes
- plainclothesmen
- marshals
- flatfeet
- sleuths
- dicks
- gumshoes
- operatives
- lieutenants
- sherlocks
- men
- peace officers
- police forces
- sleuthhounds
- marshalls
- captains
- hawkshaws
- private investigators
- private detectives
- private eyes
- heat
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilians
cops
2 of 2verb
1
as in buys
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for I copped a great outfit for only $50 Synonyms & Similar Words
- buys
- purchases
- gets
- takes
- wins
- finances
- picks up
- garners
- gains
- procures
- obtains
- horse-trades (with)
- exchanges (for)
- barters (for)
- trades (for)
- acquires
- bids
- secures
- bargains (with)
- haggles (for)
- pays (for)
- deals (for)
- offers
- springs (for)
- dickers (over)
- chaffers (with)
- negotiates (about)
- rebuys
- repurchases
- palters (with)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- markets
- sells
- deals (in)
- retails
- merchandizes
- vends
- merchandises
2
as in grabs
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly some concertgoers rushed pell-mell through the doors so that they could cop the seats down front Synonyms & Similar Words
- grabs
- catches
- lands
- snatches
- seizes
- gets
- traps
- raps
- captures
- arrests
- nets
- bags
- snares
- nabs
- snags
- collars
- hooks
- corrals
- nails
- grapples
- gloves
- nobbles
- gloms
- ropes
- clutches
- takes hold (of)
- corners
- fists
- apprehends
- snaps (up)
- lassos
- grips
- detains
- bays
- kidnaps
- halters
- holds
- grasps
- enmeshes
- abducts
- clasps
- secures
- meshes
- entraps
- latches (on or onto)
- ensnares
- entangles
- wrests
- fastens (on)
- rends
- immeshes
- spirits (away or off)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- misses
- frees
- discharges
- liberates
- releases
- drops
- unhands
- loosens