coup

1
[ koo ]
See synonyms for coup on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural coups [kooz; French koo]. /kuz; French ku/.
  1. a highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment.

  2. (among the Plains Indians of North America) a brave or reckless deed performed in battle by a single warrior, as touching or striking an enemy warrior without sustaining injury oneself.

Idioms about coup

  1. count coup, (among Plains Indians of North America)

    • to perform a coup.

    • to recount or relate the coups one has performed.

Origin of coup

1
First recorded in 1640–50; from French: literally, “a blow, stroke,” Old French colp, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus, from Greek kólaphos

Words Nearby coup

Other definitions for coup (2 of 2)

coup2
[ kohp, koop ]

verb (used with or without object)Scot.
  1. to overturn; upset.

Origin of coup

2
First recorded in 1350–1400; likely originally a variant of cope

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use coup in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coup (1 of 3)

coup1

/ (kuː) /


noun
  1. a brilliant and successful stroke or action

  2. short for coup d'état

Origin of coup

1
C18: from French: blow, from Latin colaphus blow with the fist, from Greek kolaphos

British Dictionary definitions for coup (2 of 3)

coup2

verb
  1. to turn or fall over

noun
  1. a rubbish tip

Origin of coup

2
C15: perhaps identical with obsolete cope to strike; see cope 1

British Dictionary definitions for coup (3 of 3)

coup3

/ (kaʊp) /


verb
  1. Scot to barter; traffic; deal

Origin of coup

3
C14: from Old Norse kaupa to buy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for coup

coup

[ (kooh) ]


In politics, an abbreviation for coup d'état.

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