coup

views updated May 18 2018

coup / koō/ • n. (pl. coups / koōz/ ) 1. (also coup d'é·tat) a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.2. a notable or successful stroke or move. ∎  an unusual or unexpected but successful tactic in card play.3. hist. (among North American Indians) an act of touching an armed enemy in battle as a deed of bravery, or an act of first touching an item of the enemy's in order to claim it.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

coup

views updated Jun 11 2018

coup XVIII. — F. (see COPE 2).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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