What does couped mean?
'Couped' is a technical adjective from heraldry, the medieval system of describing coats of arms. It indicates that part of a charge — most often an animal's head, a limb, or a piece of foliage — has been cut off cleanly and evenly, leaving a smooth straight edge. This distinguishes it sharply from its counterpart 'erased', which describes a charge that has been torn away, leaving ragged, irregular edges; the choice between the two terms materially changes how a device must be drawn and blazoned. A typical blazon might read 'a stag's head couped at the neck', instructing the artist to render the severed edge as a neat cut. The word descends from the Old French verb couper, meaning to cut or strike, which also gives English the noun 'coup'. Outside armorial writing and specialist references, 'couped' is seldom encountered, making it a distinctive marker of formal heraldic description.
adjectiveIn heraldry, cut off cleanly and evenly with a straight edge rather than torn or ragged; used of a charge such as a head, limb, or tree shown as if severed.
- (Heraldry) Describing a charge that has been cut off cleanly and evenly, as opposed to being erased with ragged edges.
"The coat of arms displayed a stag's head couped at the neck."
"The crest bore a boar's head couped at the neck."
"The shield was blazoned with an oak branch couped and fructed."
In heraldry, whether an animal's head looks neatly sliced or savagely ripped comes down to two words — and 'couped' is the polite one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of couped
'Couped' enters English through the language of heraldry, which was codified in Anglo-Norman and Old French. It is the past participle of Old French 'couper', meaning 'to cut' or 'to strike', itself connected to the noun 'coup' (a blow or stroke); the same French root underlies modern words such as 'coup' and 'coupon'. In medieval blazon it served to distinguish a charge cleanly severed from one 'erased', or torn off.
How couped is actually used
'Couped' belongs almost entirely to the specialized vocabulary of heraldry and appears chiefly in blazons (formal descriptions of coats of arms) and armorial reference works; it is rare in everyday English.
Easily confused with couped
In heraldry, 'erased' describes a charge torn off leaving jagged edges, whereas 'couped' describes one cut off with a smooth, straight edge.