cop1

 
Pronunciation: /kɒp/
informal

noun

  • 1a police officer: a cop in a patrol car gave chase
  • 2 (also cop-on) [mass noun] Irish shrewdness; practical intelligence: he had the cop-on to stay clear of Hugh Thornley

verb (cops, copping, copped)

[with object]
  • 1catch or arrest (an offender): he was copped for speeding
  • incur (something unwelcome): England’s captain copped most of the blame
  • (cop it) British get into trouble: will you cop it from your dad if you get back late?
  • (cop it) British be killed: he almost copped it in a horrific accident
  • 2receive or attain (something welcome): she copped an award for her role in the film
  • US obtain (an illegal drug): he copped some hash for me
  • 3North American strike (an attitude or pose): I copped an attitude—I acted real tough

Phrases

cop a feel

informal fondle someone sexually, especially in a surreptitious way or without their permission.

cop hold of

[usually in imperative] British take hold of: cop hold of the suitcase, I’m off

cop a plea

North American engage in plea bargaining.

good cop, bad cop

used to refer to a police interrogation technique in which one officer feigns a sympathetic or protective attitude while another adopts an aggressive approach: questioners often play good cop, bad cop figurative the prime minister and chancellor were involved in a classic good cop, bad cop routine

it's a fair cop

see fair1.

not much cop

British not very good: they say he’s not much cop as a coach

Phrasal Verbs

cop off

British have a sexual encounter: loads of girls think that guys just want to cop off with any girl

cop on

Irish
become aware of something: she never copped on—you’ve no idea of the guilt I went through
[as imperative] used as a way of telling someone not to be so stupid: ah, cop on, I was only messin'

cop out

avoid doing something that one ought to do: he would not cop out of the difficult tax decisions

cop to

US accept or admit to: there are a lot of people in the world who don’t cop to their past

Origin:

early 18th century (as a verb): perhaps from obsolete cap 'arrest', from Old French caper 'seize', from Latin capere. The noun is from copper2