counter
English
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊ.ɾ̃ɚ/, [ˈkʰaʊ̯.ɾ̃ɚ], [ˈkʰaʊ̯.nɚ]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊn.tə/
- Rhymes: -aʊntə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: count‧er
Audio (UK) (file)
Etymology 1
From Anglo-Norman countour, from Old French conteor (French comptoir), from Medieval Latin computātōrium, from Latin computō. Doublet of cantore, computer, and kontor.
Noun
counter (plural counters)
- One who counts.
- He's only 16 months, but is already a good counter – he can count to 100.
- A reckoner; someone who collects data by counting; an enumerator.
- 2019, Li Huang; James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, DOI: , page 4:
- The basic idea is that the researcher conducting the transect (called the counter or enumerator) walks along a set path at certain intervals (hourly, daily, monthly, etc.) and tallies all instances of whatever is being surveyed.
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- 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.
- A telltale; a contrivance attached to an engine, printing press, or other machine, for the purpose of counting the revolutions or the pulsations.
- (programming) A variable, memory location, etc. whose contents are incremented to keep a count.
- (Internet) A hit counter.
- A table or board on which money is counted and over which business is transacted
- He put his money on the counter, and the shopkeeper put it in the till.
- A shop tabletop on which goods are examined, weighed or measured.
- In a kitchen, a surface, often built into the wall and above a cabinet, designed to be used for food preparation.
- In a bathroom, a surface, often built into the wall and above a cabinet, which holds the washbasin.
- (curling) Any stone lying closer to the center than any of the opponent's stones.
- (historical) The prison attached to a city court; a compter.
- 1590, John Greenwood, Christopher Bowman's Petition
- He remaynes prisonner in the Counter in Woodstrete in the hole, by the contagiousing wherof he is lyke to perishe
- 1590, John Greenwood, Christopher Bowman's Petition
- (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.
Synonyms
- (grammar) measure word
Derived terms
- abbey counter
- axle counter
- bargaining counter
- bean-counter
- bean counter
- behind the counter
- card counter
- checkout counter
- clicker counter
- colony counter
- counter batten
- counter check
- counter clockwise
- counter culture
- counter intelligence
- counter melody
- counter password
- counter payment
- counter statement
- counter strategy
- counter surf
- counter tenor
- countertop
- cross-counter
- decade counter
- frame counter
- Geiger counter
- Geiger-Müller counter
- hit counter
- liquid scintillation counter
- nail to the counter
- non-over-the-counter
- over-the-counter
- over the counter
- pollen counter
- program counter
- rev counter
- rivet counter
- run counter
- scintillation counter
- soda counter
- span counter
- trade counter
- under the counter
- under-the-counter
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Old French contre, Anglo-Norman cuntre, both from Latin contra.
Adverb
counter (not comparable)
- Contrary, in opposition; in an opposite direction.
- 1693, [John Locke], “§94”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], OCLC 1161614482:
- running counter to all the rules of virtue
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- In the wrong way; contrary to the right course.
- a hound that runs counter
- 2004, Bee Lavender, Maia Rossini, Mamaphonic: Balancing Motherhood and Other Creative Acts
- She hated being pregnant; it ran counter to everything she wanted from her body
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene v]:
- My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you.
- 1615, George Sandys, “(please specify the page)”, in The Relation of a Iourney Begun An: Dom: 1610. […], London: […] [Richard Field] for W. Barrett, OCLC 25923553:
- which [darts] they never throw counter, but at the back of the flyer
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:contrarily
Translations
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Noun
counter (plural counters)
- Something opposite or contrary to something else.
- (martial arts) 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.
- (nautical) The overhanging stern of a vessel above the waterline, below and somewhat forward of the stern proper.
- 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 […]
- 1959, J. D. Salinger, Seymour: An Introduction:
- (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.
- The breast of a horse; that part of a horse between the shoulders and under the neck.
- (typography) The enclosed or partly closed negative space of a glyph.
- (obsolete) An encounter.
- 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “The Teares of the Muses”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], OCLC 15537294:
- with kindly counter under mimic shade
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Translations
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Verb
counter (third-person singular simple present counters, present participle countering, simple past and past participle countered)
- To contradict, oppose.
- 2022 January 12, “Network News: Further extension to Transport for London emergency funding”, in RAIL, number 948, page 8:
- In a war of words that has broken out between Khan and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps, the Mayor was accused of sending revenue-raising proposals to Shapps some three weeks late, giving him little choice but to extend negotiations. Khan countered this by alleging that 'unfair' conditions, such as raising council tax, are being attached to any new funding deal that would "punish Londoners" for the effect the pandemic has had on passenger numbers. He added: "These short-term deals are trapping TfL on life support rather than putting it on the path to long-term sustainability."
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- (boxing) To return a blow while receiving one, as in boxing.
- 1857, Charles Kingsley, “(please specify the page)”, in Two Years Ago, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., OCLC 1630456:
- His left hand countered provokingly.
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- 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.
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- (transitive, obsolete) To encounter.
Translations
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Adjective
counter (not comparable)
- Contrary or opposing
- His carrying a knife was counter to my plan.
- Synonyms: opposite, contrasted, opposed, adverse, antagonistic
- 1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage
- He could not compel Mrs. Proudie to say that the report was untrue; nor could he condescend to make counter hits at her about her own daughter, as his wife would have done.
- a. 1865, Isaac Taylor, Mind in Form
- Innumerable facts attesting the counter principle.
- 1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 342:
- It was, however, most interesting work, and the moulders themselves were a decent crowd, never tired of making jokes about themselves such as the hoary one that moulders did not live long, which however ran counter to the other one that no germs could live in a foundry—the atmosphere was too foul.
Derived terms
- counter agent
- counter fugue
- counter current
- counter revolution
- counter poison
- See also: counter-
Anagrams
- Cureton, Cutrone, cornute, countre, recount, trounce
Chinese
Etymology 1
From English counter (“tabletop”).
Pronunciation
Noun
counter
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) counter; front desk; reception desk (Classifier: 個/个 c; 張/张 c)
References
- English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese
Etymology 2
From English counter (“to take action in response to; to respond”).
Pronunciation
Verb
counter
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) to counter; to take action in response to; to respond (especially when the response taken is opposite to the original situation)
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English counter.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkɑu̯n.tər/
- Hyphenation: coun‧ter
Noun
counter m (plural counters)
- (chiefly sports, especially soccer) counter-attack, counter
- Het thuisteam scoorde vanuit de counter.
- The home team scored during a counter-attack.
- Synonym: tegenaanval
Related terms
- counteren
Old French
Verb
counter
- 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.
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 | — |