What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Cop vs Sheriff - What's the difference?

cop | sheriff |

As nouns the difference between cop and sheriff

is that cop is plait, braid (of hair) while sheriff is sheriff.

cop

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) coppe, from (etyl) . More at (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A spider.

    • Etymology 2

    Possibly from (etyl) , from (etyl) kapia, to buy.

    Verb

    (copp)
  • to obtain, to purchase (as in drugs), to get hold of, to take
  • * 2005 , Martin Torgoff, Can't Find My Way Home , Simon & Schuster, page 10:
    • Heroin appeared on the streets of our town for the first time, and Innie watched helplessly as his sixteen-year-old brother began taking the train to Harlem to cop smack.
  • to (be forced to) take; to receive; to shoulder; to bear, especially blame or punishment for a particular instance of wrongdoing.
    • When caught, he would often cop a vicious blow from his father
  • to steal
  • to adopt
    • No need to cop an attitude with me, junior.
  • to admit, especially to a crime.
    • I already copped to the murder. What else do you want from me?
    Harold copped to being known as "Dirty Harry".
  • *
    • Derived terms
    * cop a feel * cop a plea * cop off * cop on * cop out, cop-out

    Etymology 3

    Short for above, i.e. a criminal.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang, law enforcement) A police officer or prison guard.
    • Synonyms
    * See also

    Etymology 4

    (etyl) cop, copp, from (etyl) . Cognate with Dutch kop, German Kopf.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (crafts) The ball of thread wound on to the spindle in a spinning machine.
  • (obsolete) The top, summit, especially of a hill.
  • * Drayton
    • Cop they used to call / The tops of many hills.
  • (obsolete) The head.
  • A tube or quill upon which silk is wound.
  • (architecture, military) A merlon.

    • Anagrams

    *

    References

    *

    See also

    * not much cop ----

    sheriff

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, except Scotland) (High Sheriff) An official of a shire or county office, responsible for carrying out court orders and other duties.
  • (Scotland) A judge in the sheriff court, the court of a county or sheriffdom.
  • (US) A police officer, usually the chief of police for a county or other district.

    • Alternative forms

    * shrieve (obsolete)

    Derived terms

    * sheriffalty * sheriffdom * sheriffry * sheriffship * sheriffwick

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To carry out the duties of a sheriff
    • ----