# coping

/ˈkoʊpɪŋ/ (US) · /kˈəʊpɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/coping
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. wall covering

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the top layer of a wall, often made of stone or brick, designed to keep water off.

For teachers: the finishing or protective cap or top course of a wall, usually sloped to shed water.

- The rain ran off the stone coping and away from the garden wall.
- The architect specified a granite coping for the parapet to ensure that moisture would not seep into the brickwork during the winter months.

## Examples

- Exercise is a healthy coping mechanism for many people.
- The therapist taught her several new coping strategies to manage her anxiety during high-pressure work meetings.
- Psychologists distinguish between active coping, which involves direct action to change a stressor, and avoidant coping, which focuses on emotional withdrawal from the problem.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.