What does copped mean?
"Copped" is the simple past tense of the informal verb "cop", and it carries a cluster of related meanings all built around getting or receiving something. Most broadly, to have copped something is to have obtained it, often swiftly, luckily, or on good terms — people say they copped a bargain, copped tickets, or copped a free sample. In older and continuing criminal slang, however, to be copped is to be caught or arrested by the police, and the related phrase "copped a plea" means admitting guilt, typically to secure a lighter penalty. In Britain, "copping it" extends further to suffering any unwelcome consequence — a fine, a rebuke, a hard tackle. The word is firmly colloquial: it lends energy and streetwise colour to everyday speech but would sound out of place in formal writing. Its very versatility — grabbing, catching, and suffering under one small past-tense form — makes it a compact example of how slang words accumulate senses over time.
verb"Copped" is the past tense of "cop": to obtain, acquire, or lay hands on something, often quickly or opportunistically; in police and criminal slang, it also means to be arrested, caught, or charged with an offence.
- To obtain, get hold of, or acquire something, often opportunistically or at a good price.
- (Slang) To be caught, arrested, or charged by the police; to admit or confess to something.
- (Slang, chiefly British) To suffer or receive something unpleasant — 'he copped a fine', 'she copped some criticism'.
"She copped a bargain pair of trainers in the January sale."
"He copped the last two tickets before the show sold out."
"The vandals finally copped it when police reviewed the security footage."
The same little word that lets you say you "copped a bargain" also confesses that someone "copped it" — meaning they got caught by the police.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of copped
The verb "cop" appears in English in the early eighteenth century, originally meaning to seize or catch, and later extending to acquiring or obtaining things. Its ultimate origin is debated: many lexicographers link it to the idea of catching or seizing found in Old French "caper" and ultimately Latin "capere" (to take, seize), which also gave English words such as "capture" and "captivate", though a connection with the slang term "copper" for a police officer has also been suggested. From the sense of seizing, "cop" naturally developed its police meaning — being caught or taken — while a separate line of development produced the modern sense of picking something up or getting a bargain.
Related word forms
How copped is actually used
"Copped" is informal in all its senses. The acquisitive sense ("copped a deal") is common in both British and American slang, while "copped it" for being punished or arrested is chiefly British. In legal contexts, "copped a plea" means pleading guilty, especially to a lesser charge.
Easily confused with copped
"Copped" is a rare misspelling sometimes seen for "copped" — the correct spelling uses two p's from the verb "cop", not the letter C plus "opped".