Nearby Words

Coup d'état

[koo dey-tah; Fr. koo dey-ta]

coup d'é·tat

[koo dey-tah; Fr. koo dey-ta]
noun, plural coups d'é·tat [koo dey-tahz; Fr. koo dey-ta] .
a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force.

Origin:
1640–50; < French: literally, stroke concerning the state


overthrow, rebellion, revolution, uprising.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Coup d'état is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
coup d'état (ˈkuː deɪˈtɑː, French ku deta)
 
n , pl coups d'état
a sudden violent or illegal seizure of government
 
[French, literally: stroke of state]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
coup d'état [(kooh day-tah)]

A quick and decisive seizure of governmental power by a strong military or political group. In contrast to a revolution, a coup d'état, or coup, does not involve a mass uprising. Rather, in the typical coup, a small group of politicians or generals arrests the incumbent leaders, seizes the national radio and television services, and proclaims itself in power. Coup d'état is French for “stroke of the state” or “blow to the government.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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