counter

USKOWN-tur/ˈkaʊn.tɚ/UKKOWN-tuh/ˈkaʊn.tə/

Pluralcounters

Verbcounters, countering, countered

23 meanings of counter

Practice

1
shop surfacenouncountable
The long table in a shop or bank where you are served or pay.
The clerk weighed the apples on the counter.
He laid the fabric out on the counter so the customer could look at it.
UsageYou stand at the counter; the person serving you is behind the counter.
2
verbtransitive or intransitive
To say or show that something is wrong, or to act against it.
She countered his claim with facts from the report.
It is hard to counter an argument when you have no proof.
UsageOften counter that + what you say, or counter something with facts.
Similarrebut, contradict, refute, dispute, retort
3
kitchen surfacenouncountable
A flat top, often above cupboards, in a kitchen or bathroom, where you prepare food or put things.
Like a table that is built into the kitchen and never moves.
She chopped the vegetables on the kitchen counter.
Please wipe the counter after you make your sandwich.
Note
4
verbtransitive or intransitive
To do something in answer to what someone else has done.
When the other store cut its prices, we had to counter with a sale of our own.
She countered his offer with a higher one.
UsageOften counter with something: counter with a sale of your own.
Similaranswer, counteract, combat, parry
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5
adjective
Going against something, or being the opposite of it.
Her plan was counter to everything we had agreed on.
His ideas were counter to the goals of the club.
UsageUsually said as be counter to something.
Similaropposite, opposed, adverse, antagonistic
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6
tally devicenouncountable
A machine or display that counts how many times something happens and shows the number.
The counter at the bottom of his page showed two thousand visits.
Every time you open the site, the counter goes up by one.
Note
7
return attacknouncountable
In sport or fighting, a quick move or attack you make back after the other side attacks.
She stepped away from the jab and threw a quick counter.
Their quick counter caught the other team off guard.
UsageIn team sports, often said as on the counter: the team scored on the counter.
Similarriposte
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8
nouncountable
A thing that is the opposite of another thing, or that goes against it.
His calm answer was the perfect counter to her anger.
The new law acts as a counter to rising rents.
UsageUsually said as a counter to something.
Similarcontrast, foil, counterweight, antidote
9
adverb
In the opposite direction, or against something.
The boat moved counter to the flow of the river.
She always acts counter to her parents' advice.
UsageMost often said as run counter to something.
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10
computer variablenouncountable
A number that a computer keeps and adds to each time something happens.
Like making one more mark on paper each time something happens.
The program adds one to the counter every time someone visits the page.
The game uses a counter to remember how many points you have scored.
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11
game piecenouncountable
A small object, often a flat disc, used for counting, keeping score, or marking a place in games.
Each player took ten counters at the start of the game.
She moved her counter three spaces forward on the board.
Similartoken, marker, chip, piece
Note

Less common meanings

12
tally keepernouncountable
A person who counts things, like votes or people.
A vote counter checked each ballot twice before adding it to the pile.
The vote counters stayed late to finish their work.
Note
13
punch backverbtransitive or intransitive
To hit back right after someone tries to hit you, as in boxing.
When the other boxer swung, she countered with a quick punch.
He learned to counter without stepping back.
UsageUsually said as counter with a punch.
Similarretaliate
Note
14
shoe backnouncountable
The stiff back part of a shoe that wraps around your heel.
Like a small cup that holds the back of your foot steady.
The counter of my new boots rubbed against my heel all day.
Press the back of the shoe. A good counter will not fold in easily.
Note
15
boat sternnouncountable
The back part of a boat that hangs out over the water.
Small waves slapped under the counter as we sat at anchor.
The fisherman painted his boat's name across the counter.
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16
letter holenouncountable
The empty space inside a letter, like the hole in the letter 'o.'
Like the hole in the middle of a donut.
In very small print, the counter of an 'e' can fill with ink.
Letters like 'o' and 'b' have a round counter in the middle.
Note
17
measure wordnouncountable
A word used with a number when counting things, like 'head' in 'twenty head of cattle.'
Like saying 'two slices of bread' instead of 'two breads': the extra word helps you count.
In Japanese, you must use the right counter when you count flat things like paper.
English has only a few counters, and most people do not even notice them.
Similarclassifier
Note
18
point (curling)nouncountable
In curling, a stone in or touching the target area, closer to its center than every opposing stone.
Our last stone knocked out their counter and won us the end.
The red team has two counters sitting near the middle of the rings.
Note
19
high male voicenoun
A man's high singing voice, also called a countertenor.
In old church music, the counter is the part sung just above the tenor.
In the old village choir, the men who sang counter stood behind the boys.
Note
20
clashnounobsolete
A meeting with someone, often sudden, or a fight between two sides.
with kindly counter under mimic shade
1591, “The Teares of the Muses”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie.Here, counter means an encounter, a meeting between people.
Note
21
verbobsoletetransitive
To meet someone or something, often suddenly or in a fight.
Similarmeet
Note
22
noun
The front of a horse's chest, between its shoulders and below its neck.
23
noun
In the past, a prison connected to a city court.
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 PetitionHere, Counter means a city prison connected to a court.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of counter apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 6, 10–12, 17–18

It comes from two old French words, one for a person who counts and one for a counting table, both based on the Latin word for 'count'.

Meanings 2, 4–5, 7–9, 13–16, 19–21

It comes from an old French word meaning 'against', from the Latin word 'contra'.

Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Counter in the sense of opposition comes from Old French contre. en.wiktionary.org
Old French contre means 'against'. en.wiktionary.org
The Old French word comes from Latin contra. en.wiktionary.org