Definition of "coup" []

• A brilliantly executed stratagem; a triumph. (noun)
• A coup d'état. (noun)
• A sudden appropriation of leadership or power; a takeover: a boardroom coup. (noun)
• Among certain Native American peoples, a feat of bravery performed in battle, especially the touching of an enemy's body without causing injury. (noun)
• Count coup Among certain Native American peoples, to ceremoniously recount one's exploits in battle. (idiom)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Commenting on the activities of PKI chairman Aidit in Central Java immediately after the coup, it notes that he warned subordinates: at all costs not to allow the PKI to be provoked into violent action… he told the people who assembled to hear him that there must be no demonstration of support for the coup…."
• "Thanks for the lecture on the use of the term coup d'état and it's synonym "take-over"."
• "He told supporters at a rally in the capital, Sana'a, his government had turned down what he called a "coup" against his country's constitution and democracy."