Coup de grâce

A coup de grâce (/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/; French: [ku də ɡʁɑs] ⓘ 'blow of mercy') is a death blow to end the suffering of a severely wounded person or animal.

[1][2] It may be a mercy killing of mortally wounded civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the sufferer's consent.

The meaning has extended to refer to the final event that causes a figurative death.

[2] Today, a coup de grâce for incapacitated soldiers would be a war crime: the laws of war mandate caring for the incapacitated and prohibit mercy killing.

[3]

Yell of Triumph , a painting by Alfred Jacob Miller depicting Native American hunters gathering around a mortally wounded buffalo, and engaging in a victory shout before administering their "coup de grâce" to the animal