/ kuː; NAmE / noun ( pl. coups / kuːz; NAmE /)
1.
(also coup d'état ) a sudden, illegal and often violent, change of government :
He seized power in a military coup in 1997.
to stage / mount a coup
an attempted coup
a failed / an abortive coup
She lost her position in a boardroom coup (= a sudden change of power among senior managers in a company) .
2.
the fact of achieving sth that was difficult to do :
Getting this contract has been quite a coup for us.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: from French , from medieval Latin colpus blow from Greek kolaphos blow with the fist.