coup de main (ko?o? d? m?N?)n. pl. coups de main (ko?o?) A sudden action undertaken to surprise an enemy.[French : coup, stroke, blow + de, of + main, hand.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.coup de main (ku d? m??) n, pl coups de main (ku d? m??) (Military) chiefly military an attack that achieves complete surprise[literally: blow with the hand]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014coup de main (kud? ?m??) n., pl. coups de main (kud? ?m??) French. a surprise attack; a sudden development. [literally, blow from the hand] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.coup de main – A sudden and unexpected movement or attack.See also related terms for sudden.Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.coup de mainAn offensive operation that capitalizes on surprise and simultaneous execution of supporting operations to achieve success in one swift stroke.Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.