The question has vexed many, and several false etymologies have sprouted up in attempts to explain the term. But the term's origin is rather simple really. It comes from the English dialectal verb to cop, meaning to grab or seize. Thus, a copper or cop is one who makes arrests. The verb ultimately comes from the Latin capere, meaning to seize.. Use of the term "cop" to refer to a police officer came about because a "copper" is someone who captures or seizes something in English slang. The word "cop" came to mean apprehension in the mid-19th century, and since police officers often capture or seize criminals, English officers came to be known as "coppers.".

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cop (n.) "policeman," 1859, abbreviation (said to be originally thieves' slang) of earlier copper (n.2), which is attested from 1846, agent noun from cop (v.) "to capture or arrest as a prisoner." Cop-shop "police station" is attested from 1941. The children's game of cops and robbers is attested from 1900.. Each child in Heaven's playground knows each other child by name.. There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb cop. See 'Meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Entry status. OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised. See meaning & use.