coup
/ku/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.00 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act.
noun
Of Native Americans, a blow against an enemy delivered in a way that demonstrates bravery.
American usage
noun
A coup d'état.
Example Sentences
- "The conference was a major coup for Robarts, who received congratulations for his 'expert handling' of the 'risky venture.'"
- "While the price was considered a coup for Morgan, enhancing his reputation on Wall Street, Carnegie had a different explanation for his selling price."
- ""[…]It was quite a coup for Pullen Park to get it. It had been in storage for awhile,^([sic]) and several parks in other places wanted to purchase it.""
- "Yet the capture of Di María, who was the man of the match when Real won a 10th Champions League in May, represents something a coup for United considering the club are not in Europe’s premier club competition and need to strengthen their squad after the team have let five points slip from the first two matches."
- "The diplomatic messaging of RCEP may be just as important as the economics—a coup for China."
- "Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year. Now that would really have been a real coup if that occurred. [audience gasps] Little tough, huh?"
Etymology
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).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ku/
- British English: /kuː/
Usage
- American usage
- Intransitive verb
- Informal
- Transitive verb