COP

What Does COP Mean in a Text?

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The Quick Answer

COP means "Police Officer," "Close Of Play," and "Conference of the Parties."

Police Officer

COP is a contraction of the word "copper," which is slang for police officer. For example:

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

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

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:

Conference of the Parties

The Conference of the Parties (AKA the "Global Climate Circus" and "COP-Out") is the supreme decision-making body of international environmental treaties, most notably the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It convenes annually, bringing together representatives from nearly every country to discuss and negotiate global action on climate change. COP sessions address issues such as greenhouse gas reduction, climate adaptation, and financing for vulnerable nations. Each COP builds on previous agreements, with milestones like the Kyoto Protocol (COP 3) and the Paris Agreement (COP 21). The conference also includes side events, intended to foster collaboration between governments, NGOs, scientists, and businesses, in order to achieve sustainable climate goals.

Image for COP

When I write COP, I mean this:

COP is also common slang for a police officer and means "Conference of the Parties."

Summary of Key Points

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

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

COP
Definition:	Conference of the Parties
Type:	Acronym
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at COP

image for academic look, showing a teacher with a mortar board

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).