Counter

Counter, kown′tėr, adv. against: in opposition.—adj. contrary: opposite.—n. that which is counter of opposite: (mus.) the voice-part set in immediate contrast with the air: (fencing) a parry in which one foil follows the other in a small circle: the part of a horse's breast between the shoulders and under the neck: (naut.) the part of a ship between the water-line and the knuckle of the stern.—v.t. Counteract′, to act counter or in opposition to: to hinder or defeat.—n. Counterac′tion.—adj. Counteract′ive, tending to counteract.—n. one who or that which counteracts.—adv. Counteract′ively.—ns. Coun′ter-ag′ent, anything which counteracts; Coun′ter-approach′, a work thrown up outside a besieged place to command or check the approaches of the besieger; Coun′ter-attrac′tion, attraction in an opposite direction.—adj. Coun′ter-attract′ive, attracting in an opposite direction.—v.t. Counterbal′ance, to balance by weight on the opposite side: to act against with equal weight, power, or influence.—ns. Coun′terbalance, an equal weight, power, or agency working in opposition; Coun′terbase (see Contrabass); Coun′ter-batt′ery (mil.), a battery erected to oppose another; Coun′ter-blast, something done in opposition to another thing; Coun′ter-bond, a bond to protect from contingent loss one who has given bond for another.—v.t. Coun′ter-brace (naut.), to brace or fasten (the head-yards and after-yards) in opposite ways.—n. the lee-brace of the fore-topsail-yard.—n. Coun′terbuff, a stroke that stops motion or causes a recoil.—v.t. to drive back by such.—ns. Coun′ter-cast (Spens.), a contrary cast, counterplot, trick; Coun′ter-cast′er (Shak.), one who casts accounts: a book-keeper—used in contempt; Coun′ter-change, (Shak.), exchange, reciprocation.—p.adj. Coun′terchanged′, exchanged: (her.) intermixed or set one against the other, as the colours of the field and charge.—n. Coun′ter-charge, a charge brought forward in opposition to another charge.—v.t. Coun′tercharm, to destroy or dissolve the effects of another charm.—n. that which destroys the effects of another charm.—v.t. Coun′ter-check, to check by some obstacle: to rebuke.—ns. Counter-check′, a check in opposition to another: a rebuke; Counter-claim, kown′tėr-klām, n. a cross-demand brought forward as a partial or complete set-off against another claim.; Coun′ter-curr′ent, a current flowing in an opposite direction; Coun′ter-drain, a drain alongside a canal, &c., to carry off water oozing out.—v.t. Coun′terdraw, to trace on oiled paper or other transparent material.—ns. Coun′ter-ev′idence, evidence brought forward in opposition to other evidence; Coun′terfoil, the corresponding part of a bank cheque, &c., retained by the giver; Coun′ter-force, an opposing force; Coun′ter-fort (fort.), a buttress, or arch behind the revetments or retaining walls of the ditches of permanent fortifications; Coun′ter-gauge, an adjustable scribing gauge for marking the measurements of a mortise on a piece to be tenoned; Coun′ter-guard (fort.), an outwork consisting of two lines of rampart running parallel to the faces of the bastion, to guard the bastion from being breached; Coun′ter-in′fluence, an opposing influence; Coun′ter-irr′itant, an agent or substance applied to the skin so as to redden, to vesicate, or to produce pustules, &c.; Coun′ter-irritā′tion, an artificial irritation produced in one part of the body to act in opposition to and remove already existing irritation; Coun′terlight (paint.), a light opposite to any object, disturbing the effect of its light.—v.i. Coun′termarch, to march back or in a direction contrary to a former one.—n. a marching backward or in a direction different from a former one: (mil.) an evolution by which a body of men change front, and still retain the same men in the front rank: change of measures.—n. Coun′termark, an additional mark put on a bale of goods belonging to several merchants, so that it may not be opened except in the presence of all the owners: a mark put on standard metal by the London Goldsmiths' Company in addition to the artificer's: an artificial cavity made in the teeth of horses to disguise their age.—v.t. Coun′termine, to make a mine in opposition to: to oppose by means of a countermine: (fig.) to frustrate by secret working:—pr.p. countermin′ing; pa.p. countermined′.—ns. Coun′ter-mine (mil.), a mine or chamber excavated by the besieged to counteract or destroy the mines made by the besiegers: (fig.) any means of counteraction; Coun′ter-mō′tion, an opposite motion; Coun′ter-move, -move′ment, a contrary move, movement.—v.t. Coun′termure, to fortify a wall with another wall.—ns. Coun′ter-ō′pening, an aperture or vent on the opposite side, or in a different place; Coun′ter-pace, a step in opposition to another, a contrary measure.—adj. Coun′ter-paled (her.), divided equally, as an escutcheon, first palewise, then by a line fesswise, with two tinctures countercharged.—ns. Coun′ter-parole′, a word in addition to the password; Coun′terpart, the part that answers to another part: that which fits into or completes another, having the qualities which another lacks, and so an opposite.—adj. Coun′ter-pass′ant (her.), denoting two animals in a coat of arms represented as passing each other the contrary way.—n. Coun′terplea, a replication to a plea or request.—v.t. Counterplead′, to plead the contrary of; Coun′terplot′, to plot against in order to frustrate another plot:—pr.p. counterplot′ting; pa.p. counterplot′ted.—n. a plot or stratagem opposed to another plot.—v.t. Coun′terpoise, to poise or weigh against or on the opposite side: to act in opposition to with equal effect.—n. an equally heavy weight in the other scale—(Spens.) Coun′terpoys.—ns. Coun′ter-pois′on, a poison used as the antidote of another; Coun′ter-pres′sure, opposing pressure; Coun′ter-proof, an inverted impression obtained from a newly printed proof of an engraving, by laying it, while the ink is still wet, upon plain paper, and passing it through the press; Coun′ter-revolū′tion, a subsequent revolution counteracting the effect of a previous; Coun′ter-roll, a copy of the rolls relating to appeals, inquests, &c., serving as a check on another's roll; Coun′ter-round, a body of officers which goes to inspect the rounds.—adj. Coun′tersā′lient (her.), salient in opposite directions.—n. Coun′terscarp (fort.), the side of the ditch nearest to the besiegers and opposite to the scarp.—v.t. Counterseal′ (Shak.), to seal along with others.—ns. Coun′ter-secur′ity, security given to one who has become surety for another; Coun′ter-sense, an interpretation contrary to the real sense.—v.t. Countersign′, to sign on the opposite side of a writing: to sign in addition to the signature of a superior, to attest the authenticity of a writing.—ns. Coun′tersign, a military private sign or word, which must be given in order to pass a sentry: a counter-signature; Coun′ter-sig′nal, a signal used as an answer [Image: Countersink.] to another; Coun′ter-sig′nature, a name countersigned to a writing.—v.t. Coun′tersink, to bevel the edge of a hole, as for the head of a screw-nail (a a in fig.)—it is usually done by a Countersink-bit (b in fig.) in a brace.—ns. Coun′ter-stand, opposition, resistance; Coun′ter-state′ment, a statement in opposition to another statement; Coun′ter-stroke (Spens.), a stroke given in return for another stroke; Coun′ter-tal′ly, a tally serving as a check to another; Coun′ter-ten′or, name applied to alto when sung by a male voice (so called because a contrast to tenor); Coun′ter-time, the resistance of a horse that interrupts his cadence and the measure of his manège: resistance, opposition; Coun′terturn, a turn in a play different from what was expected.—v.t. Countervail′, to be of avail against: to act against with equal effect: to be of equal value to: to compensate [Counter and Avail].—n. Coun′ter-view, an opposing view: a posture in which two persons face each other: opposition: contrast.—v.t. Coun′ter-vote, to vote in opposition to; Coun′ter-weigh, to weigh against, counterbalance.—ns. Coun′ter-weight, a weight in an opposite scale.—v.i. Coun′ter-wheel, to wheel in an opposite direction.—n. Coun′ter-work, a work raised in opposition to another.—v.t. to work in opposition to.—p.adj. Coun′ter-wrought. [Fr.,—L. contra, against.]