Coup Definition
ko͝o
coups
noun
coups
A brilliantly executed stratagem; a triumph.
American Heritage
A blow.
Webster's New World
A sudden, successful move or action; brilliant stroke.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
A sudden appropriation of leadership or power; a takeover.
A boardroom coup.
American Heritage
idiom
count coup
- Among certain Native American peoples, to ceremoniously recount one's exploits in battle.
American Heritage
Other Word Forms of Coup
Noun
Singular:
coupPlural:
coupsIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Coup
Origin of Coup
French stroke from Old French colp from Late Latin colpus from Latin colaphus from Greek kolaphos
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
Borrowing from Old French
From Wiktionary
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