cope

present singular third person copes · participle present coping · participle past coped · past coped · first person past singular coped · archaic present second person singular copest · past second person singular coped · archaic past second person singular copedst · present singular third person copes · archaic present singular third person copeth · past singular third person coped · past plural coped · past subjunctive coped · participle present coping · participle past coped

1. intransitiveTo deal effectively with something, especially if difficult.

   From transport to zoos: how UK services coped in the sweltering heat [title]

   2022 July 18, Jamie Grierson, “From transport to zoos: how UK services coped in the sweltering heat”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   Chelsea were coping comfortably as Liverpool left Luis Suarez too isolated. Steven Gerrard was also being forced to drop too deep to offer support to the beleaguered Jay Spearing and Jordan Henderson rather than add attacking potency alongside the Uruguayan.

   2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport

   Phyllida Barlow, the sculptor representing the UK at the Venice Biennale, has said that while it may have taken the art world decades to pay attention to her work, the timing of her recognition was perfect, adding: “20 years ago, I wouldn’t have coped.”

   2017 May 10, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, quoting Phyllida Barlow, “Phyllida Barlow: I couldn't have coped if fame had come 20 years ago”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms: contend, hold it together, hack, contrive, manage · Antonyms: lose one's shit

2. To cut and form a mitred joint in wood or metal.
3. falconryTo clip the beak or talons of a bird.

   the beak and talons should be closely coped

   1856, John Henry Walsh, Manual of British Rural Sports

plural copes

1. slangA coping mechanism or self-delusion one clings to in order to endure a hopeless situation.

   Just as it sounds, a Gymcel is an incel who goes to the gym a lot, which in their mind is a cope.

   2020, Brian Whitney, The "Supreme Gentleman" Killer: The True Story of an Incel Mass Murderer, unnumbered page

   3 more examples

   There was some public grousing about the number of white supremacists attempting to recruit, however; some incels argued that white supremacy was just another "cope"–just another self-deluding attempt to cover over the grim truth of the blackpill.

   2019, Talia Lavin, Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy, unnumbered page

   My only 2 copes for the past 3 years have been food & the internet/surfing. Both of these copes have only hurt me further as I have addictions to both sugar and the internet now and have isolated myself further and further into the oblivion.

   2020, anonymous, quoted in Jacob Conley, "Efficacy, Nihilism, and Toxic Masculinity Online: Digital Misogyny in the Incel Subculture", thesis submitted to The Ohio State University, page 18

   When those of us with W-2 income say the ultrawealthy are all miserable anyway, that’s cope. When some late-1950s Americans nitpicked the reporting on Sputnik because they couldn’t believe the Soviet Union launched a satellite first — that, according to the writer Jeet Heer, was “a pathetic display of cope.”

   2025 October 20, Nitsuh Abebe, “Are You Resigned to a World of Bad News? Or Do You Need Some ‘Cope’?”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

1. derogatoryAn expression of spite towards someone who suffered a setback.

   "The other guy cheated, I had no chance!" "Cope."

2. InternetderogatoryA contemptuous dismissal, implying that someone should deal with some problem on their own and that the speaker will not engage any further.

plural copes

1. derogatoryA long, loose cloak worn by a priest, deacon, or bishop when presiding over a ceremony other than the Mass.

   […] there went firſt 160 Prieſts, all in their Copes, eight Biſhops next, […]

   1681, Gilbert Burnet, “Book II. The Life and Reign of Queen Mary.”, in The History of the Reformation of the Church of England. The Second Part, […], London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell, […], →OCLC, page 300

   1 more example

   He possessed a gorgeous cope of crimson silk and gold-thread damask, figured with a repeating pattern of golden pomegranates set in six-petalled formal blossoms, beyond which on either side was the pine-apple device wrought in seed-pearls.

   1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XI, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC

2. derogatoryAny covering such as a canopy or a mantle.
3. derogatoryliteraryThe vault or canopy of the skies, heavens etc.

   the starry cope of heaven

   1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

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   Who perceiveth and seeth himselfe placed here,[…]farthest from heavens coape, with those creatures, that are the worst of the three conditions; and yet dareth imaginarily place himselfe above the circle of the Moone, and reduce heaven under his feet.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   One summer night, in commune with the hope Thus deeply fed, amid those ruins gray I watched, beneath the dark sky’s starry cope; […]

   1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 191

   It was, indeed, a majestic idea that the destiny of nations should be revealed, in these awful hieroglyphics, on the cope of heaven.

   1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC

4. derogatorybusinessA covering piece on top of a wall exposed to the weather, usually made of metal, masonry, or stone, and sloped to carry off water.
5. derogatoryThe top part of a sand casting mold.
6. derogatoryAn ancient tribute due to the lord of the soil, out of the lead mines in Derbyshire, England.

present singular third person copes · participle present coping · participle past coped · past coped

1. derogatorytransitiveTo cover (a joint or structure) with coping.
2. derogatoryintransitiveTo form a cope or arch; to arch or bend; to bow.

   1 more example

   [W]e ſee that wreſtlers onely doe claſpe about, and imbrace one another with their armes; and the moſt part of their ſtriving one againſt another, whether it be performed by taking hold either directly or indirectly, by tripping, by coping and tugging, doe all bring them together, and enterlace them; […]

   1603, Plutarch, “The Second Booke of the Symposiaques. The Fourth Question. Whether Wrestling were of All the Exercises and Games of Prise, Most Ancient or No?”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 673

present singular third person copes · participle present coping · participle past coped · past coped

1. derogatoryobsoleteTo bargain for; to buy.
2. derogatoryobsoleteTo exchange or barter.

   [The Patron] Will cope with thee in reasonable wise; That if the living yerely doo arise To fortie pound, that then his yongest sonne Shall twentie have, and twentie thou hast wonne.

   1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC

3. derogatoryobsoleteTo make return for; to requite; to repay.

   Three thousand ducats due unto the Jew, / We freely cope your courteous pains withal.

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]

4. derogatoryobsoleteTo match oneself against; to meet; to encounter.

   I love to cope him in these sullen fits.

   c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

   3 more examples

   They say he yesterday coped Hector in the battle, and struck him down.

   c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

   Says, ‘Mistress, do you travel to be coped? / Give me my fee: for sure, a plump-cheeked lass / Shall not the porter's lodge unkissèd pass.’

   a. 1682, Nathaniel Whiting, “The Pleasing History of Albino and Bellama”, in George Saintsbury, editor, Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, volume III, published 1921

   Host coped with host, dire was the din of war.

   1708, John Philips, Cyder

5. derogatoryobsoleteTo encounter; to meet; to have to do with.

   Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man / As e'er my conversation coped withal.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

present singular third person copes · participle present coping · participle past coped · past coped

1. derogatorydialectalobsoleteTo tie or sew up the mouth of a ferret used for hunting rabbits.

   His nimble ferrets must now become pioners for their master who coupes them, lest they should grow too fat to endure labour.

   1631, Richard Brathwaite, Whimzies

   1 more example

   The use of this word is confined to warreners, who are said to 'cope' their ferrets, when they sew or tie up their mouths, to prevent them from biting rabbits, when they are used to drive them from their holes.

   1825, Robert Forby, The Vocabulary of East-Anglia

2. derogatoryfigurativelyobsoleteTo silence or prevent from speaking.

   And tell me Signior, why when you eate our good cheare i'th City, haue you handſome wide chops, but meeting vs at Court, none; your gumme's glew'd vp, your lips coap'd like a Ferret, not ſo much as the corner of a Cuſtard; if a cold cup, and a dry cheate loaf 'tis well.

   1621, Thomas Dekker, Match Me in London

   2 more examples

   Well sir? how triflingly soeuer you trauers the matter, these my Philosophicall proceedings (for any thing hitherto heard) might fullie suffice to put your fantasticall fooleries to a perpetuall non-sute: were you not like to the rauenous Ferret, which rendeth in peeces whatsoeuer poore Rabbet doth come in her reach. And therefore it shall not be amisse to cope vp your lips a little, by taking foorthwith so strict a course as you shall neuer be able to contradict with all your skill: which may in this sort be verie fitly effected.

   1601, John Deacon, John Walker, Dialogicall Discourses of Spirits and Divels

   That is; because Roger has a vocal instrument between his chin and his nose, called a mouth, and being not muzled, gagged or cop'd; but having a free power, faculty or Page 127 May to open it, and order it as he think fit; therefore he May stretch it out as wide as he please, and swear quite cross the Island, that he'l have the whole, or at least half:

   1672, John Eachard, Mr. Hobbs's state of nature considered in a dialogue between Philautus and Timothy

1. A surname.
2. A locality in the Mid-Western council area, eastern New South Wales, Australia.
3. An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Washington County, Colorado, United States.
4. An unincorporated community in Morgan County, Indiana, United States.
5. A town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States.