coup

¹ American  

[koo] / ku /

noun

plural

coups

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.

3. coup d'état.

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idioms

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

   1. to perform a coup.

   2. to recount or relate the coups one has performed.

coup ² American  

[kohp, koop] / koʊp, kup /

verb (used with or without object)

Scot.

1. to overturn; upset.

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coup ¹ British  

/ kuː /

noun

1. a brilliant and successful stroke or action

2. short for coup d'état

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coup ² British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to turn or fall over

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noun

1. a rubbish tip

coup ³ British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to barter; traffic; deal

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coup Cultural  

1. In politics, an abbreviation for coup d'état.

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Usage

Why is coup trending? On January 6, 2021, interest in the word coup spiked—corresponding with a 962% increase in search interest on Dictionary.com—after a mob of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building on the day Congress was set to certify the electoral vote count to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Some journalists, political analysts, and politicians used the word coup to describe the events that occurred at the nation’s capitol.The word coup, in this context, is short for coup d’état, which literally means “stroke of state” in French. Due to its French origin, the final p is not pronounced, making the word sound identical to the word coo.https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1346947575975272448https://twitter.com/MaryLTrump/status/1346963110041505794https://twitter.com/RepPressley/status/1346937329928302593

Etymology

Origin of coup¹

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

Origin of coup²

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

Example Sentences

No elections have been held since the coup.

From Barron's

What the Swiss company lost in chocolate, though, it gained back in a public-relations coup—as did multiple other companies quick to hop on the meme bandwagon.

From The Wall Street Journal

After Chávez’s failed coup, Flores spent hours with him at Yare prison, an overcrowded complex outside the capital, making plans for Venezuela in the new century.

From The Wall Street Journal

Whether or not that leads to substantive peace talks, Pakistan has already executed a diplomatic coup in its favor.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was ousted in the country's most recent coup in 2021 by Doumbouya, who went on to win presidential elections last year.

From BBC

Related Words

• action
• overthrow
• plot
• revolution