English · Slang Attested

copper

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A police officer, especially one in uniform.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

hạt đồng, cảnh sát

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

If you're caught by a copper, it's his job to pinch you, isn't it? You can hold him up with a gun, but he's got to come on, even if he gets killed. […] It's not fair on the coppers either; they've got their duty to do, and it's dirty to kill a man for doing his job.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word: a private detective or a security guard.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

thường được đặt sau một từ mô tả: thám tử tư nhân hoặc vệ sĩ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

An informer. — A person working as an informer for the police; a nark

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người cung cấp thông tin; một người làm việc như một người cung cấp thông tin cho cảnh sát

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Topics: Dated

Common questions

What does “copper” mean?

A police officer, especially one in uniform.

Is “copper” formal or informal?

copper is generally slang.

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