Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sudden action undertaken to surprise an enemy.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an attack without warning

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French : coup, stroke, blow + de, of + main, hand.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word coup de main.

Examples

    Sorry, no example sentences found.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.