Definition for counter - Oxford Dictionaries Online (World English)

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	counter1 (coun\|ter) Pronunciation: /ˈkaʊntə/ noun 1a long flat-topped fitment across which business is conducted in a shop or bank or refreshments are served in a cafeteria. North American a worktop. 2a small disc used in board games for keeping the score or as a place marker. a token representing a coin. a factor used to give one party an advantage in negotiations: the proposal has become a crucial bargaining counter over prices 3a device used for counting: the counter tells you how many pictures you have taken a person who counts something, for example votes in an election. Physics an apparatus used for counting individual ionizing particles or events. Phrases behind the counter serving in a shop or bank: he drove to the store and flirted with two sisters behind the counter over the counter by ordinary retail purchase, with no need for a prescription or licence: [as modifier]: over-the-counter medicines (of share transactions) taking place outside the stock exchange system. under the counter (or table) (with reference to goods bought or sold) surreptitiously and typically illegally: hard porn is legally banned, but still available under the counter [as modifier]: an under-the-counter deal Origin: Middle English (in counter¹ (sense 2)): from Old French conteor, from medieval Latin computatorium, from Latin computare (see compute)		Search results in the dictionary counter² counter³ counter- go or British hunt or run counter in counter² rev counter bean counter More results » Nearby Words count ¹ count ² count noun count palatine countable countable noun countback countdown countenance counter ¹ counter ² counter ³ counter- counter-attack counter-attraction counter-conditioning counter-espionage counter-insurgency counter-intelligence