coup

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A sudden, often violent seizure of government power by a small group.

   The army staged a coup and overthrew the elected president overnight.

2. 2
   noun

   A clever, impressive, and unexpectedly successful achievement.

   Signing the world's best player was a major coup for the small club.

3. 3
   noun

   A sudden move by one group to take control from another.

   Several ministers were accused of plotting a coup against the prime minister.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Coup, recorded in English from the late 18th century, goes back to Latin colpus, “a blow.” It denotes a sudden seizure of power from a government. The French form coup d’état is recorded from the mid-17th century.

Reborrowed in modern times from modern French coup (“blow, strike”), from Old French coup, colp, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus. Doublet of cope and colpus. The same Old French word had been borrowed into Middle English as coupe, caupe (with different pronunciation).

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