cop
A person whose job is to work for the police and enforce the law; a police officer.
A police officer; a member of the police force, used in informal contexts.
To get or take something, often in a fast, informal, or secret way.
To get, obtain, or take something, especially something desirable or limited, often in an informal or slightly illegal way.
To get something bad, like anger, blame, punishment, or a hit.
To receive or experience something unpleasant such as criticism, blame, punishment, or a physical blow.
- Base: cop
- Plural: cops
- Base: cop
- 3rd Person Singular: cops
- Present Participle: coping
- Past: coped
- Past Participle: coped
call the cops
1telephone the police
To telephone the police to report a crime, danger, or serious problem.
- If he does not leave, I am going to call the cops.
- The neighbors called the cops when they heard shouting.
- She threatened to call the cops if they did not turn the music down.
cop a feel
1touch someone sexually without consent
To touch someone's body in a sexual way without their permission.
- She complained that someone tried to cop a feel on the crowded train.
- He was fired after he copped a feel during the office party.
cop a plea
1plead guilty to get lighter sentence
To make a legal agreement to say you are guilty of a less serious crime so that you get a lighter punishment.
- He decided to cop a plea rather than risk a long prison term.
- Most of the suspects copped a plea and avoided a trial.
- Her lawyer advised her to cop a plea on the lesser charge.
cop it
1be punished or harshly treated
To be punished, attacked, or strongly criticized, often for doing something wrong.
- You are really going to cop it when your parents find out.
- The manager copped it from the media after the loss.
- Drivers who speed through this village usually cop it from the police.
cop off with
1kiss or hook up (BrE slang)
To kiss or start a sexual relationship with someone you have just met, especially at a party or in a club.
- He bragged that he copped off with someone at the party.
- She copped off with a guy she met at the club.
- Everyone seemed to be trying to cop off with someone by the end of the night.
cop out
1avoid doing something you should do
To avoid doing something difficult, or something you are supposed to do, usually by giving an excuse.
- He was supposed to help move the furniture, but he copped out at the last minute.
- Do not cop out now just because the project got hard.
- She copped out of the meeting by saying she felt sick.
cop to
1admit or acknowledge something
To admit that you did something or that something is true, especially when it is bad or embarrassing.
- He finally copped to cheating on the test.
- The company copped to making a serious mistake in its report.
- She refused to cop to any role in the scandal.
cop-out
1weak excuse to avoid something
An excuse or weak reason that someone uses to avoid doing something difficult or important.
- Saying you are too busy is just a cop-out.
- Calling it a misunderstanding is a total cop-out.
- That explanation sounds like a bit of a cop-out to me.
good cop, bad cop
1two people use opposite roles to pressure someone
A method where two people try to get someone to do something: one acts kind and helpful (good cop) and the other acts strict or aggressive (bad cop).
- The interviewers played good cop, bad cop during the negotiation.
- Parents sometimes do a good cop, bad cop routine without meaning to.
- The detectives used a good cop, bad cop strategy in the questioning.