Meaning of counter In English

• 0 a long, flat, narrow surface or table in a shop, bank, restaurant, etc. at which people are served:

  • There was nobody behind/on the counter when I went into the bank, and I had to wait to be served.

  • You will find sausages on the meat counter/rolls on the bread counter.

  • We stacked the dirty plates on the kitchen counter.

• 1 a small object used to mark someone's place in some games played on boards

• 2 a person or machine that counts

• 3 to react to something with an opposing opinion or action, or to defend yourself against something:

  • After the government bombed their camp, the rebels countered with an attack on the capital.

  • When criticisms were made of the school's performance, the parents' group countered with details of its exam results.

  • Extra police have been moved into the area to counter the risk of violence.

• 4 in a way that opposes something:

  • Bob's decision not to take the job ran counter to his family's expectations.

• 5 opposing or as a reaction to something:

  • a counterattack (= an attack on someone who has attacked you)

• 6 a long, flat, narrow surface in a store, bank, restaurant, etc., at which people are served:

  • He sat down at the counter of the diner and ordered a cup of coffee.

• 7 to react to something with an opposing opinion or action; to defend yourself against something:

  • [ T ] To counter the inaccuracies in the movie, researchers used computer models to project climate changes.

• 8 in a way that opposes an opinion or action:

  • David’s decision to drop out of school to write plays ran counter to (= was directly opposite to) his parent’s expectations.

• 9 the place where customers go to be served or to buy goods in a store:

  • Please pay at the counter.

  • You will find rolls on the bread counter.

  • the checkout counter

  • He serves behind the counter at the local deli.

• 10 goods or services that are sold or available over the counter can be bought or obtained without needing official permission, for example, from a doctor or someone in authority:

  • Bonds are sold over the counter, with prices quoted privately to the client.

  • Regulators declined permission for the remedy to be sold over the counter.

• 11 goods or services that are sold or available under the counter can be bought or obtained secretly and sometimes illegally:

  • Pirate DVDs are available under the counter in pubs and clubs everywhere.

  • under-the-counter deals