cop English · revision 5631

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /kɒp/, US /kɑːp/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|catch; police officer}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=1704}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is of uncertain origin; it was northern British dialect.^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) It is perhaps a variant of obsolete cap “to arrest” (1589), which is [[bor|frm|caper|t=to seize]], from [[la|capere|t=to take]];^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) MWU and Etymonline suggest instead Dutch kapen “to take, steal”, from Old Frisian kāpia “to buy”, related to Old English cēapian (see [[cheap]]).^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) The noun “police officer” is a shortening of [[copper]], an agent noun from the verb, recorded from 1846.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To seize, catch or capture: 1704.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun, a police officer, is from 1859, said to be originally thieves' slang, and first American.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(GDoS) A capture or arrest, as in ''a fair cop'', is a British sense.^(SOED 2002)^(Collins 2023) ''Cops and robbers'' is from 1900, and ''cop-shop'', a police station, from 1941.^(Etymonline) ''Cop a plea'', to plead guilty to a lesser charge, is from about 1925;^(Barnhart 1988) the noun ''cop-out'' is from 1942, and the verb ''cop out'', to withdraw, from about 1967.^(Barnhart 1988) To get or buy illegal drugs is a later slang sense.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1704 – to catch.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1846 – copper, a police officer.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1859 – cop, a police officer.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1925 – ''cop a plea''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1942 – ''cop-out''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal)'' A police officer.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(British, informal)'' An arrest: ''it's a fair cop''.^(SOED 2002)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(slang)'' To catch or seize; to get.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(slang)'' To [[steal]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(cop it, British slang)'' To be punished or get into trouble.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ {{homograph|2|top; roll of thread}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=inherited|attested=before 1000}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun “top, summit” is [[inh|enm|cop]], [[inh|ang|copp|t=top, summit]],^(MWU 2024)^(OED 1989) perhaps akin to Norwegian dialect kup “humpback”.^(MWU 2024) The SOED says its origin is unknown and that several words may be represented, and Etymonline relates Old English cop to the source of [[cup]].^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The top or summit of anything: before 1000.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The top of a hill is from about 1374, and the head from about 1264.^(OED 1989) A conical heap of hay or barley is dialect from the early 16th century, and a conical roll of thread wound on a spindle followed.^(SOED 2002)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1000 – a summit.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1374 – the top of a hill.^(OED 1989)

+ * early 16th century – a conical heap.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A cone-shaped roll of thread wound on a [[spindle]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(dialect)'' The top or crest of a hill.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[copper]]

+ * [[cop-out]]

+ * [[cop out]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Cop, a spider, is a dialect shortening of [[attercop]].^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}