Countermark Coun"ter·mark` noun 1. A mark or token added to those already existing, in order to afford security or proof; as, an additional or special mark put upon a package of goods belonging to several persons, that it may not be opened except in the presence of all; a mark added to that of an artificer of gold or silver work by the Goldsmiths' Company of London, to attest the standard quality of the gold or silver; a mark added to an ancient coin or medal, to show either its change of value or that it was taken from an enemy. 2. (Far.) An artificial cavity made in the teeth of horses that have outgrown their natural mark, to disguise their age.
Countermark Coun`ter·mark" (koun`tẽr*märk")
transitive verb To apply a countermark to; as, to countermark silverware; to countermark a horse's teeth.
Countermine Coun"ter·mine` (koun"tẽr*mīn`)
noun [
Counter- +
mine underground gallery: confer French
contermine .]
1. (Mil.) An underground gallery excavated to intercept and destroy the mining of an enemy. 2. A stratagem or plot by which another sratagem or project is defeated. Thinking himself contemned, knowing no countermine against contempt but terror.
Sir P. Sidney.
Countermine Coun`ter·mine" (koun`tẽr*mīn")
transitive verb [ Confer French
contreminer .] [
imperfect & past participle Countermined ;
present participle & verbal noun Countermining .]
1. (Mil.) To oppose by means of a countermine; to intercept with a countermine. 2. To frustrate or counteract by secret measures.
Countermine Coun`ter·mine" intransitive verb To make a countermine or counterplot; to plot secretly. 'Tis hard for man to countermine with God.
Chapman.
Countermove Coun`ter·move" transitive verb & i. To move in a contrary direction to.
Countermove Coun"ter·move` noun Coun"ter*move`ment (-m
e nt).
A movement in opposition to another.
Countermure Coun"ter·mure` noun [
Counter- +
mure : confer French
contremur .]
(Fort.) A wall raised behind another, to supply its place when breached or destroyed. [ R.] Confer Contramure . Knolles.
Countermure Coun`ter·mure" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Countermured (-m?rd");
present participle & verbal noun Countermuring .] [ Confer French
contremurer .]
To fortify with a wall behind another wall. [ R.]
Kyd.
Counternatural Coun"ter·nat`u·ral adjective Contrary to nature. [ R.]
Harvey.
Counterpane Coun"ter·pane` noun [ See
Counterpoint , corrupted into counter
pane , from the employment of
pane- shaped figures in these coverlets. ]
A coverlet for a bed, -- originally stitched or woven in squares or figures. On which a tissue counterpane was cast.
Drayton.
Counterpane Coun"ter·pane` noun [ Old French
contrepan a pledge, security;
contre + pan a skirt, also, a pawn or gage, French
pan a skirt. See
Pane , and confer
Pawn .]
(O. Law) A duplicate part or copy of an indenture, deed, etc., corresponding with the original; -- now called counterpart . Read, scribe; give me the counterpane .
B. Jonson.
Counterpart Coun"ter·part` noun 1. A part corresponding to another part; anything which answers, or corresponds, to another; a copy; a duplicate; a facsimile. In same things the laws of Normandy agreed with the laws of England, so that they seem to be, as it were, copies or counterparts one of another.
Sir M. Hale.
2. (Law) One of two corresponding copies of an instrument; a duplicate. 3. A person who closely resembles another. 4. A thing may be applied to another thing so as to fit perfectly, as a seal to its impression; hence, a thing which is adapted to another thing, or which supplements it; that which serves to complete or complement anything; hence, a person or thing having qualities lacking in another; an opposite. O counterpart
Of our soft sex, well are you made our lords.
Dryden.
Counterpassant Coun"ter·pas`sant adjective [
Counter- +
passant : confer French
contrepassant .]
(Her.) Passant in opposite directions; -- said of two animals.
Counterplead Coun`ter·plead" transitive verb To plead the contrary of; to plead against; to deny.
Counterplot Coun`ter·plot" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Counterplotted ;
present participle & verbal noun Counterplotting .]
To oppose, as another plot, by plotting; to attempt to frustrate, as a stratagem, by stratagem. Every wile had proved abortive, every plot had been counterplotted .
De Quinsey.
Counterplot Coun"ter·plot` noun A plot or artifice opposed to another. L'Estrange.
Counterpoint Coun"ter·point` noun [
Counter- +
point .]
An opposite point [ Obsolete]
Sir E. Sandys.
Counterpoint Coun"ter·point` noun [ French
contrepoint ; confer Italian
contrappunto . Confer
Contrapuntal .]
(Mus.) (a) The setting of note against note in harmony; the adding of one or more parts to a given canto fermo or melody .
(b) The art of polyphony, or composite melody, i. e. , melody not single, but moving attended by one or more related melodies. (c) Music in parts; part writing; harmony; polyphonic music. See Polyphony . Counterpoint , an invention equivalent to a new creation of music.
Whewell.
Counterpoint Coun"ter·point` noun [ Old French
contrepoincte , corruption of earlier
counstepointe ,
countepointe , French
courtepointe , from Latin
culcita cushion, mattress (see
Quilt , and confer
Cushion ) +
puncta , fem. past participle of
pungere to prick (see
Point ). The word properly meant a stitched quilt, with the colors broken one into another.]
A coverlet; a cover for a bed, often stitched or broken into squares; a counterpane. See 1st Counterpane . Embroidered coverlets or counterpoints of purple silk.
Sir T. North.
Counterpoise Coun"ter·poise` transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Counterpoised (-poizd`);
present participle & verbal noun Counterpoising .] [ Middle English
countrepesen ,
counterpeisen , F.
contrepeser . See
Counter ,
adverb , and
Poise ,
transitive verb ]
1. To act against with equal weight; to equal in weight; to balance the weight of; to counterbalance. Weights, counterpoising one another.
Sir K. Digby.
2. To act against with equal power; to balance. So many freeholders of English will be able to beard and counterpoise the rest.
Spenser.
Counterpoise Coun"ter·poise` noun [ Middle English
countrepese , Old French
contrepois , F.
contrepods . See
Counter ,
adv ., and
Poise ,
noun ]
1. A weight sufficient to balance another, as in the opposite scale of a balance; an equal weight. Fastening that to our exact balance, we put a metalline counterpoise into the opposite scale.
Boyle.
2. An equal power or force acting in opposition; a force sufficient to balance another force. The second nobles are a counterpoise to the higher nobility, that they grow not too potent.
Bacon.
3. The relation of two weights or forces which balance each other; equilibrium; equiponderance. The pendulous round eart, with balanced air,
In counterpoise .
Milton.
Counterpole Coun"ter·pole` noun The exact opposite. The German prose offers the counterpole to the French style.
De Quincey.
Counterponderate Coun`ter·pon"der·ate transitive verb To equal in weight; to counterpoise; to equiponderate.
Counterprove Coun`ter·prove" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Counterproved (-pr??vd");
present participle & verbal noun Counterproving .]
To take a counter proof of, or a copy in reverse, by taking an impression directly from the face of an original. See Counter proof , under Counter .
counterrevolutionary, counter-revolutionary counterrevolutionary, counter-revolutionary adj. marked by opposition or antipathy to revolution; as, ostracized for his counterrevolutionary tendencies. Opposite of revolutionary . [ WordNet 1.5]
Counterrolment Coun`ter·rol"ment noun A counter account. See Control . [ Obsolete]
Bacon.
Counterscale Coun"ter·scale` noun Counterbalance; balance, as of one scale against another. [ Obsolete]
Howell.
Counterscarf Coun"ter·scarf` noun [
Counter- +
scarp : confer French
contrescarpe .]
(Fort.) The exterior slope or wall of the ditch; -- sometimes, the whole covered way, beyond the ditch, with its parapet and glacis; as, the enemy have lodged themselves on the counterscarp .
Counterseal Coun`ter·seal" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Countersealed (-s?ld");
present participle & verbal noun Countersealing .]
To seal or ratify with another or others. Shak.
Countersecure Coun`ter·se·cure" transitive verb To give additional security to or for. Burke.
Countershaft Coun"ter·shaft` noun (Machinery) An intermediate shaft; esp., one which receives motion from a line shaft in a factory and transmits it to a machine.
Countersign Coun`ter·sign" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Countersigned (-s?nd`);
present participle & verbal noun Countersigning .] [
Counter- +
sign : confer F.
contresigner .]
To sign on the opposite side of (an instrument or writing); hence, to sign in addition to the signature of a principal or superior, in order to attest the authenticity of a writing.
Countersign Coun"ter·sign` adjective 1. The signature of a secretary or other officer to a writing signed by a principal or superior, to attest its authenticity. 2. (Mil.) A private signal, word, or phrase, which must be given in order to pass a sentry; a watchword.
Countersink Coun"ter·sink` (koun"tẽr*sĭnk`; 277)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Countersunk (-sŭnk`);
present participle & verbal noun Countersinking .]
1. To chamfer or form a depression around the top of (a hole in wood, metal, etc.) for the reception of the head of a screw or bolt below the surface, either wholly or in part; as, to countersink a hole for a screw. 2. To cause to sink even with or below the surface; as, to countersink a screw or bolt into woodwork.
Countersink Coun"ter·sink` noun 1. An enlargement of the upper part of a hole, forming a cavity or depression for receiving the head of a screw or bolt. » In the United States a flaring cavity formed by chamfering the edges of a round hole is called a
countersink , while a cylindrical flat-bottomed enlargement of the mouth of the hole is usually called
a conterbore .
2. A drill or cutting tool for countersinking holes.
Counterstand Coun"ter·stand` (-st...nd`)
noun Resistance; opposition; a stand against. Making counterstand to Robert Guiscard.
Longfellow.
Counterstep Coun"ter·step` noun A contrary method of procedure; opposite course of action.
Counterstock Coun"ter·stock` noun See Counterfoil .
Counterstroke Coun"ter·stroke` noun A stroke or blow in return. Spenser.
Countersunk Coun"ter·sunk` past participle & adjective from
Countersink .
1. Chamfered at the top; -- said of a hole. 2. Sunk into a chamfer; as, a countersunk bolt. 3. Beveled on the lower side, so as to fit a chamfered countersink; as, a countersunk nailhead.
Countersway Coun"ter·sway` (-swā`)
noun A swaying in a contrary direction; an opposing influence. [ Obsolete]
A countersway of restraint, curbing their wild exorbitance.
Milton.
Counterterm Coun"ter·term` noun A term or word which is the opposite of, or antithesis to, another; an antonym; -- the opposite of synonym ; as, "foe" is the counterterm of "friend". C. J. Smith.
Countertime Coun"ter·time` noun 1. (Man.) The resistance of a horse, that interrupts his cadence and the measure of his manege, occasioned by a bad horseman, or the bad temper of the horse. 2. Resistance; opposition. [ Obsolete]
Give not shus the countertime to fate.
Dryden.
Countertrippant Coun"ter·trip`pant adjective (Her.) Trippant in opposite directions. See Trippant .
Countertripping Coun"ter·trip`ping adjective (Her.) Same as Countertrippant .
Counterturn Coun"ter·turn` (-t...rn`)
noun The critical moment in a play, when, contrary to expectation, the action is embroiled in new difficulties. Dryden.
Countervail Coun`ter·vail" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Countervailed (-v?ld);
present participle & verbal noun Countervailing .] [ Old French
contrevaloir ;
contre (L.
contra ) +
valoir to avail, from Latin
valere to be strong, avail. See
Vallant .]
To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or for; to counterbalance; to compensate. Upon balancing the account, the profit at last will hardly countervail the inconveniences that go allong with it.
L'Estrange.
Countervail Coun"ter·vail` noun Power or value sufficient to obviate any effect; equal weight, strength, or value; equivalent; compensation; requital. [ Obsolete]
Surely, the present pleasure of a sinful act is a poor countervail for the bitterness of the review.
South.
Countervallation Coun`ter·val·la"tion noun (Fort.) See Contravallation .
Use the search box below if you want to search in Websters only, use the search box at the right to search all of Enyclo.
