Pronounced: uh-SEE-dee-uhs, adj
Notes: A good word to know
Yesterday’s word
The word putsch is “a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government”
First usage
Our word came into English in the 1910s
Background / Comments
If you enjoy history, or have studied about World War II, you are probably familiar with the “Beer Hall Putsch”, which was an attempt by Adoph Hitler and others to overthrow the German government in 1923. You may recall that he was found guilty of treason and spent time in prison (where he wrote Mein Kampf). Subsequently, he attempted to gain power by working through the existing system instead of trying to overthrow the government. In the 1920s, putsch attempts were common in Weimar Germany. Our word came from the Swiss German word putsch (knock; thrust). A synonym for our word is “coup d’état” or “coup”.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 