Perp

//pɝp// adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A perpetrator. slang

    ""We have the perp in custody," the policeman said."

  2. 2
    A perpetual bond.
  3. 3
    Perpetual futures.

    "Autopsies carried out since then [Oct 2025 crypto crash] suggest that much of the damage can be traced to investors having piled into financial products known as perpetual futures. So-called perps allow traders to make highly leveraged bets, up to 100-to-1 on some crypto exchanges, to boost their returns on market moves."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Clipping of perpendicular. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping

    "a perp window"

Synonyms

All synonyms
perpetratorperpetual futuressuspect

Example

More examples

"Judging by the size of this footprint, I'd say the perp is about six feet tall."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Clipping of perpetrator.

Etymology 2

Clipping of perpetual futures or perpetual bond.

Related phrases

perp walk

More for "perp"

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.