cop 1 (k?p)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).[Short for copper.]cop 2 (k?p) 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.[Probably variant of cap, to catch, from Old French caper, from Latin capere; see capture.]cop3cop 3 (k?p)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.[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.cop out vb (intr, adverb) to fail to assume responsibility or to commit oneself n 1. an instance of avoiding responsibility or commitment 2. a person who acts in this way [C20: probably from cop1]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014