coup

noun

1. A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act.

   “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.”

2. (US, historical)Of Native Americans, a blow against an enemy delivered in a way that demonstrates bravery.

   “Among the Blackfeet the capture of a shield, bow, gun, war bonnet, war shirt, or medicine pipe was deemed a coup.”

   “Thus, for a horseman to ride over and knock down an enemy, who was on foot, was regarded among the Blackfeet as a coup, for the horseman might be shot at close quarters, or might receive a lance thrust.”

3. A coup d'état.

   “Military coups and the military regimes which follow from them are so much a feature of third world politics that their presence or absence in any given region might almost be taken as a rough and ready touchstone of third worldliness.”

   “It was the military's discontent with what was happening in the country and in the military that led to the first military coup in January 1966. The First Republic was brought to an ignoble end and replaced with a military government.”

   “The coup was well-planned. Fuel was artificially held back so as to create shortages and dissatisfaction with Brotherhood rule. The old state-controlled unions mounted public sector strikes that further sabotaged the economy and annoyed people. Police-controlled thugs who had been used against the Tahrir Square demonstrations in 2011 came back into action.”

4. (broadly)A takeover of one group by another.

   “Liz Truss’s government is in chaos after the chancellor refused to confirm he would bring forward his budget to calm the markets and the home secretary accused fellow MPs of a coup against the prime minister. […] Backbenchers also expressed outrage at [Suella] Braverman’s suggestion of a “coup” against Truss.”

5. A single roll of the wheel at roulette, or a deal in rouge et noir.
6. One of various named strategies employed by the declarer to win more tricks, such as the Bath coup.

verb

1. (intransitive)To execute a coup.

   “The squaws of another race will sing the death-song of their benefactor, and woe to the Sioux if the Northern Cheyennes get a chance to coup !”

2. (informal, transitive)To subject (a nation) to a coup d'état.

   “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”

   “In response to the accusation that the US government organised a coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia in order for Tesla to secure lithium there, Musk tweeted: “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.””

3. (transitive)To empty out, overturn, or tilt, such as from a cart or wheelbarrow.
4. (Northern-England, Scotland)To exchange, barter.

   “How that he had been couped from hand to hand, ſometimes kept againſt his will as Captive, ſometimes beſieged, ſometimes brought to battle againſt his will by the Duglaſſes to fight againſt the Earl of Lenox, […]”

   “[W]hen he had gotten, beſide twelve chalder of victuall, a hundred pound ſterling a-year, from the Engliſh, out of the ſtipends of other kirks, all contented him not; but he made almoſt a trade of couping horſes.”

   “Now after Tom’s return to Scotland, he got a wife, and took a little farm near Dalkeith, and became a very douse man, for many years, following his old business the couping horses and cows, and feeding veals for the slaughter, and the like.”

   “There’s Billy the Barber for coupin’ see cliver, / Wiv his linties, an’ greenies, gowldspinkies an’ a’— / For a pig or a pup he wad lowp i’ the river, / Still wi’ Fishers an Pilots he likes for to jaw.”

   “To Coup, to exchange. “I’ll coup thee,” I will give you this for that. “Will you coup seats with me?” exchange seats. See To Swap.”