An Egyptian belonging to or descended from the people of ancient or pre-Islamic Egypt.
A member of the Coptic Church.
[French Copte, from New Latin Coptus, from Arabic Qubṭ, Copts, from Coptic Gyptias, from Greek Aiguptios, an Egyptian, from Aiguptos, Egypt, of Egyptian origin.]
1615, from Ar. quft, probably from Coptic gyptios, from Gk. Agyptios "Egyptian." Native Egyptian Christian belonging to the Jacobite sect of Monophysites. Arabic has no -p- and often substitutes -f- or -b- for it.