coup de main

American  

[koo d^uh man] / ku də ˈmɛ̃ /

noun

French.

plural

coups de main

1. a surprise attack; a sudden development.

---

coup de main British  

/ ku də mɛ̃ /

noun

1. military an attack that achieves complete surprise

---

Etymology

Origin of coup de main

Literally, “blow from the hand”

Example Sentences

In the ring, Pacquiao, an avatar of speed and power combined into unremitting attack, exemplifies the Napoleonic principle of coup de main, the bold, decisive strike.

From New York Times • May 1, 2015

But what happened last week in Bangkok was not a coup d'�tat, nor even a coup de main, coup de Jarnac, coup de gr�ce, coup de maitre, coup de pied or a coup d'oeil.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now Robuchon has opened his first overtly Japanese restaurant, at the Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo, and it's exactly the chic coup de main his fans would expect.

From Time Magazine Archive

Said Army Major General Stanley McChrystal, a top Pentagon operations officer: "We are not expecting to drive into Baghdad suddenly and seize it in a coup de main."

From Time Magazine Archive

The French had no artillery, and attempted to take the place by a coup de main.

From The Funny Philosophers Wags and Sweethearts by Yellott, George