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# cop

«cop» in Mova's school dictionary: **a police officer** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a cop, cops); verb (cop, cops, copped, copping)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (informal) A cop is a police officer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m1)

2) (UK slang) To cop something is to get or receive it, usually something bad: «You'll cop it for that!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m2)

3) (slang) To cop a look is to take a quick look: «Cop a look at this». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m3)

4) (UK informal) Not much cop means not very good. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m4)

5) To cop out is to avoid doing something you should do; a cop-out is a weak excuse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m5)

6) To cop to something (US) is to admit it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#m6)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, films and everyday talk, «cop» is the casual word for police officer; in safety, children learn that police officers can help if they are lost. In British slang «you'll cop it» warns of trouble. Phrases: cops and robbers, cop out, not much cop, cop it, cop a feel (rude).

### examples

- A cop helped us find our way home. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x1)
- We played cops and robbers in the playground. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x2)
- You'll cop it when Mum sees the mess! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x3)
- That film wasn't much cop. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x4)
- Saying you were busy is a cop-out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x5)
- Cop a look at my new trainers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x6)
- He finally copped to eating the last biscuit. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/#x7)

### note

Informal; in formal writing say «police officer». «Cop» is less respectful than «officer». Past forms: copped, copping (double «p»).

### In the corpora

- ["Fair cop" is British slang for admitting you were caught out fairly.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/money/11-prices-and-change-at-the-till/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «cop» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cop/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.