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Definition of counter

counter

/ˈkaʊn.tər/
Plural:counters
•
Past Simple:countered
•
Past Participle:countered
•
Present Participle:countering
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counter Lexical Profile

counter Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A long, flat-topped fixture in a store, kitchen, or public building used for serving food, displaying goods, or conducting transactions.

Example

"She placed the fresh vegetables on the kitchen counter before starting to prepare dinner."


2

A device or system that enumerates or records the number of items, events, or operations, such as a Geiger counter.

Example

"The digital counter on the turnstile tracked the exact number of attendees entering the museum."


3

A small disc or token used for keeping score or marking a position in board games.

Example

"At the start of the game, each player selected a brightly colored counter to move across the board."

Synonyms
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• verb

1

To speak or act in opposition to a statement or action; to retaliate or rebut.

Example

"During the debate, the academic smoothly countered her opponent's argument with recent statistical evidence."


2

To neutralize or reduce the negative effects of something through an opposing action.

Example

"The central bank raised interest rates to counter the rising threat of inflation."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for counter

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from two distinct historical sources that converged in spelling: Old French 'conteoir' (from Latin 'computare', meaning to calculate), which originally referred to a table used by money changers, and Latin 'contra', meaning against or opposite.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Counter. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/counter
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