| Library / English Dictionary |
COUP DE MAIN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An attack without warning
Synonyms:
coup de main; surprise attack
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("coup de main" is a kind of...):
attack; onrush; onset; onslaught ((military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coup de main"):
terrorist attack (a surprise attack involving the deliberate use of violence against civilians in the hope of attaining political or religious aims)
ambuscade; ambush; lying in wait; trap (the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise)
pre-emptive strike (a surprise attack that is launched in order to prevent the enemy from doing it to you)
