coup

¹

[ koo ]

noun

, plural coups [kooz, koo].

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.

coup

²

[ kohp, koop ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Scot.

1. to overturn; upset.

coup

¹

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to barter; traffic; deal

coup

²

/ kuː /

noun

1. a brilliant and successful stroke or action
2. short for coup d'état

coup

³

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to turn or fall over

noun

1. a rubbish tip

coup

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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of coup¹

C14: from Old Norse kaupa to buy

Origin of coup²

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

Origin of coup³

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Before the election, I thought that if Trump won or managed a successful coup, I would just withdraw.

From Salon

Transactional politics imply cutting deals with coup leaders and warlords whose crimes are their credentials.

From BBC

Perhaps most depressingly, what all these “Trump trades” show is that there is nothing too extreme for America’s plutocrats to abide—not an attempted coup, not open bigotry and baseless fearmongering, not convictions of sexual abuse, not even the country’s perceptions around the world.

From Slate

There are also frequent accusations of coup plotting, which further fuels paranoia.

From BBC

I think many of us just assumed that the nation would never elect Trump again because he had not only been repudiated once, he had subsequently attempted a coup, incited an insurrection and had been found guilty of fraud and defamation and is currently under criminal indictment at both the federal and state levels.

From Salon

Related Words

• action
• overthrow
• plot
• revolution