Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rent-a-cop

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.16 in modern English

Syllables: ren-t-a--cop
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

5

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A private security guard, usually one regarded as inferior to and less skilled than an actual law enforcement officer.

Colloquial; Derogatory

Example Sentences

"“What got into you tonight? Why'd you pull that scene at the arcade? I had to mess up this rentacop^([sic]) came after me with nunchucks.”"

Etymology

From rent-a- + cop, modelled after the brand name Rent-a-Car.

Usage

Inflected Forms

rent-a-cops (plural) rentacop (alternative)

Questions

What does rent-a-cop mean?: A private security guard, usually one regarded as inferior to and less skilled than an actual law enforcement officer.
Where does rent-a-cop come from?: From rent-a- + cop, modelled after the brand name Rent-a-Car.

How to pronounce rent-a-cop

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “rent-a-cop”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “rent-a-cop”.
Repeat and practice — Say “rent-a-cop” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.