I. ˈkäp noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English copp top, summit; perhaps akin to Norwegian dialect kup humpback, Swedish dialect kupa beehive, Old English cȳpa basket — more at kipe
1. chiefly dialect England : top , head , crest
2. : a cylindrical, conical, or conical-ended mass of thread, yarn, or roving wound upon a quill or tube
3. : a tube or quill upon which thread, yarn, or roving is wound
4. : a heap or pile:
a. dialect England : a bank of earth (as earth thrown up from digging a ditch and left as a hedge bank)
b. : the bank of a golf bunker
II. transitive verb
( copped ; copped ; copping ; cops )
: to wind on a cop
III. transitive verb
( copped ; copped ; copping ; cops )
Etymology: alteration of cob (to strike)
dialect England : to strike (a person) especially on the head
IV. verb
( copped ; copped ; copping ; cops )
Etymology: perhaps from Dutch kapen to steal, plunder, from Frisian kāpia to take away, buy, from Old Frisian, to buy; akin to Old High German koufōn — more at cheap
transitive verb
1. slang : catch , capture
cop a prize
: get hold of
they copped the best seats
: take
2. slang : to steal especially on the spur of the moment : swipe
somebody copped my watch
intransitive verb
slang : win
there's 20 bucks extra in it for you if you cop
Synonyms: see steal
•
- cop a plea
- cop it
V. noun
( -s )
slang Britain : capture , arrest
it's a fair cop . I'll go quiet — Arthur Morrison
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: short for copper (V)
: policeman
VII. abbreviation
1. copper
2. copulative
3. copy
4. copyright
VIII. transitive verb
: purchase
cop dope
intransitive verb
1. slang : admit 2b — used with to
cop to the charges
2. slang : to purchase or obtain drugs : score
•
- cop a feel