Cop is short for copper, but it appears to have nothing to do with
the metal.
The word cop previously came into use in the early 1700s as slang
meaning to seize something or grab.
The use of cop [for copper] for a policeman began around 1859 and
was more in line with the above slang expression that the police
would “nab” or seize someone. “Copper” = “nabber”
Later, some police badges were made out of copper and some believe
that this is where the expression came from.
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