COP

What Does COP Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

COP means "Police Officer" and "Close Of Play"

Police Officer

COP is a contraction of the word "copper," which is slang for police officer. There are a number of theories as to the origins of the term "copper" to refer to a police officer, including:

"Copper" may refer to the metal used to make the badges (US) or buttons (UK) of the officers' uniforms.
"Copper" may derive from the Latin capere, meaning to take, i.e., to take someone into custody or to arrest them.
"COP" may be an acronym of "constable on patrol."

Close Of Play

COP is also an abbreviation used in financial markets and business circles with the meaning "Close of Play." It signifies the end of the working day. It is thought that the term originated in cricket or tennis, which are both sports where the end of a day's play is not necessarily the end of the match. For example, "At COP on the second day of the third test, Pakistan lead India by 21 runs."

Other abbreviations with similar meanings to COP in this context include:

Image for COP

When I write COP, I mean this:

COP is also common slang for a police officer.

Summary of Key Points

First Definition of COP

"Police Officer" is, by far, the most common meaning for COP when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

COP
Definition:	Police Officer
Type:	Slang Word (Jargon)
Guessability:	1: Easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Second Definition of COP

"Close of Play" is another common definition for COP, especially in business circles.

COP
Definition:	Close of Play
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of COP in Sentences

Here are examples of COP (i.e., police officer) in jokes:

How many COPs does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one, but she is never around when you need her.

A clairvoyant midget has escaped from prison. The COPs are looking for a small medium at large.

An Academic Look at COP

When used as slang for a police officer, COP is a contraction of the word "copper." Some contractions, like COP, use the opening letters of the fully expanded version. Other contractions, like Dr, use letters from the start and end of the fully expanded version. Contractions can also be formed by replacing a letter(s) with an apostrophe (e.g., can't). When used as an abbreviation with the meaning "Close Of Play," COP is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., See Oh Pee).