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Webster 1913 Edition

Counter

Count′er

(koun′tẽr)
,
Noun.
[OE.
countere
,
countour
, a counter (in sense 1), OF.
contere
,
conteor
, fr.
conter
to count. See
Count
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
One who counts, or reckons up; a calculator; a reckoner.
2.
A piece of metal, ivory, wood, or bone, used in reckoning, in keeping account of games, etc.
The old gods of our own race whose names . . . serve as
counters
reckon the days of the week.
E. B. Tylor.
What comes the wool to? . . . I can not do it without
counters
.
Shakespeare
3.
Money; coin; – used in contempt.
[Obs.]
To lock such rascal
counters
from his friends.
Shakespeare
4.
A prison; either of two prisons formerly in London.
Anne Aysavugh . . . imprisoned in the
Counter
.
Fuller.
5.
A telltale; a contrivance attached to an engine, printing press, or other machine, for the purpose of counting the revolutions or the pulsations.
Knight.

Coun′ter

,
Noun.
[OE.
countour
, OF.
contouer
,
comptouer
, F.
comptoir
, LL.
computatorium
, prop., a computing place, place of accounts, fr. L.
computare
. See
Count
,
Verb.
T.
]
A table or board on which money is counted and over which business is transacted; a long, narrow table or bench, on which goods are laid for examination by purchasers, or on which they are weighed or measured.

Coun′ter

,
adv.
[F.
contre
, fr. L.
contra
against. Cf.
Contra-
.]
1.
Contrary; in opposition; in an opposite direction; contrariwise; – used chiefly with run or go.
Running
counter
to all the rules of virtue.
Locks.
2.
In the wrong way; contrary to the right course;
as, a hound that runs
counter
.
This is
counter
, you false Danish dogs!
Shakespeare
3.
At or against the front or face.
[R.]
Which [darts] they never throw
counter
, but at the back of the flier.
Sandys.

Coun′ter

,
Adj.
Contrary; opposite; contrasted; opposed; adverse; antagonistic;
as, a
counter
current; a
counter
revolution; a
counter
poison; a
counter
agent;
counter
fugue
.
“Innumerable facts attesting the counter principle.”
I. Taylor.
Counter approach
(Fort.)
,
a trench or work pushed forward from defensive works to meet the approaches of besiegers. See
Approach
.
–
Counter bond
(Law)
,
in old practice, a bond to secure one who has given bond for another.
–
Counter brace
.
See
Counter brace
, in Vocabulary.
–
Counter deed
(Law)
,
a secret writing which destroys, invalidates, or alters, a public deed.
–
Counter distinction
,
contradistinction.
[Obs.]
–
Counter drain
,
a drain at the foot of the embankment of a canal or watercourse, for carrying off the water that may soak through.
–
Counter extension
(Surg.)
,
the fixation of the upper part of a limb, while extension is practiced on the lower part, as in cases of luxation or fracture.
–
Counter fissure
(Surg.)
Same as
Contrafissure
.
–
Counter indication
.
(Med.)
Same as
Contraindication
.
–
Counter irritant
(Med.)
,
an irritant to produce a blister, a pustular eruption, or other irritation in some part of the body, in order to relieve an existing irritation in some other part.
“Counter irritants are of as great use in moral as in physical diseases.”
Macaulay.
–
Counter irritation
(Med.)
,
the act or the result of applying a counter irritant.
–
Counter opening
,
an aperture or vent on the opposite side, or in a different place.
-
Counter parole
(Mil.)
,
a word in addition to the password, given in time of alarm as a signal.
–
Counter plea
(Law)
,
a replication to a plea.
Cowell.
–
Counter pressure
,
force or pressure that acts in a contrary direction to some other opposing pressure.
–
Counter project
,
a project, scheme, or proposal brought forward in opposition to another, as in the negotiation of a treaty.
Swift.
–
Counter proof
,
in engraving, a print taken off from another just printed, which, by being passed through the press, gives a copy in reverse, and of course in the same position as that of plate from which the first was printed, the object being to enable the engraver to inspect the state of the plate.
–
Counter revolution
,
a revolution opposed to a former one, and restoring a former state of things.
–
Counter revolutionist
,
one engaged in, or befriending, a counter revolution.
–
Counter round
(Mil.)
,
a body of officers whose duty it is to visit and inspect the rounds and sentinels.
–
Counter sea
(Naut.)
,
a sea running in an opposite direction from the wind.
–
Counter sense
,
opposite meaning.
–
Counter signal
,
a signal to answer or correspond to another.
–
Counter signature
,
the name of a secretary or other officer countersigned to a writing.
Tooke.
–
Counter slope
,
an overhanging slope; as, a wall with a counter slope.
Mahan.
–
Counter statement
,
a statement made in opposition to, or denial of, another statement.
–
Counter surety
,
a counter bond, or a surety to secure one who has given security.
–
Counter tally
,
a tally corresponding to another.
–
Counter tide
,
contrary tide.

Coun′ter

,
Noun.
[See
Counter
,
adv.
,
Contra
.]
1.
(Naut.)
The after part of a vessel’s body, from the water line to the stern, – below and somewhat forward of the stern proper.
2.
(Mus.)
Same as
Contra
. Formerly used to designate any under part which served for contrast to a principal part, but now used as equivalent to
counter tenor
.
3.
(Far.)
The breast, or that part of a horse between the shoulders and under the neck.
4.
The back leather or heel part of a boot.

Coun′ter

(koun′t?r)
,
Noun.
An encounter.
[Obs.]
With kindly
counter
under mimic shade.
Spenser.

Coun′ter

,
Verb.
I.
(Boxing)
To return a blow while receiving one, as in boxing.
His left hand
countered
provokingly.
C. Kingsley.

Webster 1828 Edition

Counter

COUNTER

,
Noun.
[from count.]
1.
A false piece of money or stamped metal, used as means of reckoning; any thing used to keep an account or reckoning, as in games.
2.
Money, in contempt.
3.
A table or board on which money is counted; a table on which goods in a shop are laid for examination by purchasers. In lieu of this, we sometimes see written the French comptoir, from compter, computo; but counter is the genuine orthography.
4.
The name of certain prisons in London.
5.
One that counts or reckons; also, an auditor.
6.
Encounter. [Not used.]
7.
In ships, an arch or vault, whose upper part is terminated by the bottom of the stern. The upper or second counter is above the former, but not vaulted.
Counter of a horse, that part of a horses forehand which lies between the shoulder and under the neck.

COUNTER

,
adv.
[L.]
1.
Contrary; in opposition; in an opposite direction; used chiefly with run or go; as, to run counter to the rules of virtue; he went counter to his own interest.
2.
The wrong way; contrary to the right course.
3.
Contrariwise; in a contrary manner.
4.
The face, or at the face. [Not used.]
This word is prefixed to many others, chiefly verbs and nouns, expressing opposition.

Definition 2024

counter

counter

See also: counter-

English

Noun

counter ‎(plural counters)

  1. An object (now especially a small disc) used in counting or keeping count, or as a marker in games, etc.
    He rolled a six on the dice, so moved his counter forward six spaces.‎
  2. (curling) Any stone lying closer to the center than any of the opponent's stones.
  3. A table or board on which money is counted and over which business is transacted; a shop tabletop on which goods are examined, weighed or measured.
    He put his money on the counter, and the shopkeeper put it in the till.‎
  4. One who counts, or reckons up; a reckoner.
    He's only 16 months, but is already a good counter – he can count to 100.‎
  5. A telltale; a contrivance attached to an engine, printing press, or other machine, for the purpose of counting the revolutions or the pulsations.
  6. (historical) The prison attached to a city court; a Counter.
  7. (grammar) A class of word used along with numbers to count objects and events, typically mass nouns. Although rare and optional in English (e.g. "20 head of cattle"), they are numerous and required in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
  8. In a kitchen, a surface, often built into the wall and above a cabinet, whereon various food preparations take place.
  9. In a bathroom, a surface, often built into the wall and above a cabinet, which holds the washbasin.
  10. (wrestling) A proactive defensive hold or move in reaction to a hold or move by one's opponent.
    Always know a counter to any hold you try against your opponent.‎
  11. (programming) A variable, memory location, etc. whose contents are incremented to keep a count.
  12. (Internet) A hit counter.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Old French contre, Anglo-Norman cuntre, both from Latin contra.

Adverb

counter ‎(not comparable)

  1. Contrary, in opposition; in an opposite direction.
    • Running counter to all the rules of virtue. -Locks.
Translations

Noun

counter ‎(plural counters)

  1. (nautical) The overhanging stern of a vessel above the waterline.
  2. (by extension) The piece of a shoe or a boot around the heel of the foot (above the heel of the shoe/boot).
    • 1959, J. D. Salinger, Seymour: An Introduction:
      Seymour, sitting in an old corduroy armchair across the room, a cigarette going, wearing a blue shirt, gray slacks, moccasins with the counters broken down, a shaving cut on the side of his face [...].

Etymology 3

From counter-.

Verb

counter ‎(third-person singular simple present counters, present participle countering, simple past and past participle countered)

  1. To contradict, oppose.
  2. (boxing) To return a blow while receiving one, as in boxing.
    • His left hand countered provokingly. - C. Kingsley
  3. To take action in response to; to respond.
    • 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23:
      David Cameron insists that his latest communications data bill is “vital to counter terrorism”. Yet terror is mayhem. It is no threat to freedom. That threat is from counter-terror, from ministers capitulating to securocrats.
Translations

Adjective

counter ‎(not comparable)

  1. Contrary; opposite; contrasted; opposed; adverse; antagonistic.
    His carrying a knife was counter to my plan.
    • I. Taylor
      Innumerable facts attesting the counter principle.
Derived terms
  • counter agent
  • counter fugue
  • counter current
  • counter revolution
  • counter poison
See also: counter-

Adverb

counter ‎(not comparable)

  1. In opposition; in an opposite direction; contrariwise.
    • John Locke
      running counter to all the rules of virtue
  2. In the wrong way; contrary to the right course.
    a hound that runs counter
    • Shakespeare
      This is counter, you false Danish dogs!
  3. At or against the front or face.
    • Sandys
      which [darts] they never throw counter, but at the back of the flier

Noun

counter ‎(plural counters)

  1. (obsolete) An encounter.
    • Spenser
      with kindly counter under mimic shade
  2. (nautical) The after part of a vessel's body, from the water line to the stern, below and somewhat forward of the stern proper.
  3. (music) Alternative form of contra Formerly used to designate any under part which served for contrast to a principal part, but now used as equivalent to countertenor.
  4. The breast, or that part of a horse between the shoulders and under the neck.
  5. The back leather or heel part of a boot.

Anagrams

Old French

Verb

counter

  1. Late Anglo-Norman spelling of conter

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ts, *-tt are modified to z, t. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of counter (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive counter avoir counté
gerund en countant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle countant
past participle counté
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses		 present count countes counte countons countez countent
imperfect countoie, counteie, countoe, counteve countoies, counteies, countoes, counteves countoit, counteit, countot, counteve countiiens, countiens countiiez, countiez countoient, counteient, countoent, countevent
preterite countai countas counta countames countastes counterent
future counterai counteras countera counterons counteroiz, countereiz, counterez counteront
conditional counteroie, countereie counteroies, countereies counteroit, countereit counteriiens, counteriens counteriiez, counteriez counteroient, countereient
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the preterite tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses		 present count counz count countons countez countent
imperfect countasse countasses countast countissons, countissiens countissoiz, countissez, countissiez countassent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— counte — countons countez —

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman countour, from Old French conteor (French comptoir), from Medieval Latin computātōrium, from Latin computō.

Pronunciation

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