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coup

blow

noun koo Common

Also means

strike

Usage Note

Coup is one of French's most productive nouns, meaning a blow but spawning dozens of phrases: coup de main for a helping hand, coup d'œil for a glance, coup de foudre for love at first sight, and tout à coup for suddenly. English borrowed it whole in 'coup d'état'.

Examples

"Il a frappé un coup."

Natural Translation

He struck a blow.

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