coup stick

American  

[koo] / ku /

noun

1. a stick with which some North American Indian warriors sought to touch their enemies in battle as a sign of courage.

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Etymology

Origin of coup stick

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Chief Plenty Coups, the leader of Crow Nation who was invited to attend the ceremony, laid a war bonnet and a rod known as a coup stick across the coffin.

From New York Times • Nov. 5, 2021

In the last Great Indian Council and on the journey home the attention of the writer was called to the prominence given to the coup stick.

From The Vanishing Race by Dixon, Joseph Kossuth

The old war-bonnets and war-shirts were brought out; the coup stick with its trembling eagle feathers, the ancient bows and arrows.

From The Vanishing Race by Dixon, Joseph Kossuth

He derived his name, “many coups,” from the fact that he was able to add eagle feather after eagle feather to his coup stick, counting coups in victory.

From The Vanishing Race by Dixon, Joseph Kossuth

After we had shot the wolf we would run up and put our coup stick on him and play that he was our enemy.

From The Vanishing Race by Dixon, Joseph Kossuth