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cop1

Pronunciation: /kɒp/
informal
Translate cop | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of cop

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 figurativethe 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

cop in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cop in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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