Coup de grâce
A coup de grâce (/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/; French: [ku də ɡʁɑs] ⓘ lit. 'blow of mercy') is a mercy killing in which a mortally wounded person or animal is struck with a weapon or shot with a projectile to kill it quickly and end its suffering, with or without its consent. Veterinarians may administer it to seriously injured animals that are dying or in pain, or hunters to animals they have shot and wounded. With humans, it may be done by a firing squad after a volley of shots at a condemned prisoner, or by soldiers in wartime who have captured a seriously wounded enemy soldier, although this may be a war crime.
Animal euthanasia
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If large animals—such as horses, cattle, and deer—are seriously injured, some veterinarians will kill them with firearms. This is a legal animal euthanasia method if performed properly.[1][2] This may be performed by means of shooting the animal in the forehead with the bullet directed down the spine through the medulla oblongata, resulting in instant death.[3] The risks are minimal if carried out by skilled personnel in a suitable location, or by using a captive bolt gun.
Firing squad
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With firing squad executions, in the past, after the squad fired, the squad's officer may have shot the prisoner with a pistol or rifle at point blank if the initial volley was not fatal.[clarification needed]
Seriously wounded prisoners of war
[edit]There have been cases where soldiers have shot and killed seriously wounded enemy soldiers who they have captured.[4] Their rationale for shooting seriously wounded prisoners of war varies and may include the desire to end their suffering or revenge. In the 2020s, a soldier giving a coup de grâce to kill an incapacitated or seriously wounded soldier would be a war crime. The laws of war mandate caring for the incapacitated and prohibit mercy killing.[5]
Figurative use
[edit]Its meaning has extended to refer to the final event that causes a figurative death or ending.[6][7] For example, if a company is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, if an insolvency administrator hastens the process, in order to make the wind-down more orderly, this action may be figuratively referred to as a "coup de grâce" for the company.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Longair, JA; Finley, GG; Laniel, MA; Mackay, C; Mould, K; Olfert, ED; Rowsell, H; Preston, A (December 1991). "Guidelines for euthanasia of domestic animals by firearms". The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 32 (12): 724–6. PMC 1481111. PMID 17423912.
- ↑ "Gunshot or Penetrating Captive Bolt". Iowa State University. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ↑ Tom J. Doherty, Alex Valverde, Manual of Equine Anaesthesia and Analgesia, Blackwell Publishing 2006 (p. 352)
- ↑ Morris, Steven; Norton-Taylor, Richard (8 November 2013). "Marine faces life term after being found guilty of 'executing' Afghan insurgent". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ↑ Blum, Gabriella (2010). "The Laws of War and the "Lesser Evil"" (PDF). The Yale Journal of International Law. 35 (1). hdl:20.500.13051/6604. SSRN 1315334. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-09.
- ↑ Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, eds. The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. ISBN 978-0618604999 p. 119.
- ↑ Charles Harrington Elster. The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations: The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. ISBN 978-0618423156 pp. 110–111.
External links
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The dictionary definition of coup de grâce at Wiktionary
