High-profile American senator John McCain has described the ousting of Egypt's president as a "coup".

The White House has so far avoided using the term because doing so would require a suspension of US military aid to Egypt.

It is important to note that McCain is a Republican senator, and does not represent the US government. However, his words do carry weight.

And the word "coup" is a heavy term in Egypt these days.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from the Egyptian capital, Cairo.