Counter has 19 different meanings across 5 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Adverb · Proper Noun
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
"The customer placed her credit card on the counter to pay for her groceries."
game equipment (as a piece of wood, plastic, or ivory) used for keeping a count or reserving a space in various card or board games
"She carefully placed her chip on the wooden counter to reserve a spot at the poker table."
a person who counts things
"The store manager hired a temporary counter to manage the rush of donations at the charity drive."
(computer science) a register whose contents go through a regular series of states (usually states indicating consecutive integers)
"The software engineer debugged the glitch caused by an overflow in the system's binary counter."
a piece of leather forming the back of a shoe or boot
"a counter may be used to stiffen the material around the heel and to give support to the foot"
a return punch (especially by a boxer)
"After getting caught off guard, the fighter landed a swift counter to his opponent's chin."
One who counts.
"The government's new policy was met with a strong counter-argument from the opposition party."
Something opposite or contrary to something else.
In plain English: A counter is a flat surface where you put things, like at a store checkout or in a kitchen.
Usage: Use "counter" as a noun to refer specifically to a flat surface behind which transactions occur, such as in a store or bank. Do not use it as a general synonym for any object that is opposite or contrary to another thing.
act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
"The manager decided to counter the rumor by releasing a statement before it could spread further."
To contradict, oppose.
"When the manager suggested cutting staff hours, the union representative countered by arguing that it would hurt morale and productivity."
In plain English: To count things by adding them up one by one.
"The security guard at the airport counter checked her ticket before letting her pass."
Usage: To counter something means to offer an opposing argument or action specifically designed to neutralize it. Use this verb when you are directly addressing and trying to defeat a claim, threat, or move made by someone else.
indicating opposition or resistance
"She offered a sharp counter to his claim that the project was too expensive."
Contrary or opposing
"Her counter-argument about the budget cuts completely undermined his original proposal."
In plain English: Counter means going against something or someone else.
"The counterweight on the elevator helps it move smoothly up and down."
Usage: Use "counter" as an adjective to describe something that opposes or works against another force, such as in counter-measures or counter-arguments. It specifically denotes an action or item designed to neutralize or resist a previous one rather than simply being opposite in meaning.
Contrary, in opposition; in an opposite direction.
"The new policy was designed to counter the rising costs of inflation by subsidizing essential goods for families."
In plain English: To counter means to do something that stops or fights back against what someone else is doing.
"He ran counter to the crowd's opinion."
Usage: Use "counter" as an adverb to describe an action taken in direct opposition or response to something else, such as launching a counterattack after being attacked. Do not use it simply to mean "against" when modifying a noun, as that requires the preposition "against."
A surname.
"Our new neighbor, Mr. Counter, waved from his porch as we moved in next door."
The word "counter" comes from the Old French term comptoir, which originally meant a place for counting money or goods. It entered English via Middle English as a noun referring to both the surface used for transactions and the person who manages such accounts.