cops

cop ¹

 (kŏp)

n. Informal

1. A police officer.

2. One that regulates certain behaviors or actions: "Faced with the world recession of the early 1980s, ... the World Bank ... became a stern economic taskmaster and cop" (Richard J. Barnet).

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[Short for copper.]

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cop ²

 (kŏp) Slang

tr.v. copped, cop·ping, cops

1.

a. To get hold of; gain or win: a show that copped four awards; copped a ticket to the game.

b. To perceive by one of the senses: "copped a quick look at the gentleman ... on the right" (Gail Sheehy).

2. To take unlawfully or without permission; steal.

Phrasal Verb:

cop out

To avoid fulfilling a commitment or responsibility; renege: copped out on my friends; copped out by ducking the issue.

Idioms:

cop a feel

To fondle someone sexually in a surreptitious way.

cop a plea

To plead guilty to a lesser charge so as to avoid standing trial for a more serious charge.

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[Probably variant of cap, to catch, from Old French caper, from Latin capere; see capture.]

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cop3

cop ³

 (kŏp)

n.

1. A cone-shaped or cylindrical roll of yarn or thread wound on a spindle.

2. Chiefly British A summit or crest, as of a hill.

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[Middle English, summit, from Old English.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.