Slang the act or an instance of copping out, as by confessing, reneging, quitting, etc.
cop out
cop-out
noun
The definition of a cop out is a poor excuse for not doing something.
An example of a cop-out is when your boyfriend asks you on a date and you say you have to wash your hair.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"cop-out." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out>.
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cop-out. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out
cop-out
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"cop-out." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out>.
APA Style
cop-out. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out
cop-out
also cop·out
noun
Slang- A failure to fulfill a commitment or responsibility or to face a difficulty squarely.
- A person who fails to fulfill a commitment or responsibility.
- An excuse for inaction or evasion.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"cop-out." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out>.
APA Style
cop-out. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out
Verb
(third-person singular simple present cops out, present participle copping out, simple past and past participle copped out)
- (idiomatic) To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
- Faced with the prospect of cooking for himself, his first thought was to cop out and order a pizza.
Origin
Probably from cop a plea
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"cop-out." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out>.
APA Style
cop-out. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/cop-out
