Counterclockwise

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Moving in a direction that is opposite to that of a clock’s hands, often creating leftward rotations around a central point
2. Indicating a rotational movement that progresses against the regular direction of clock movement, typically to the left
3. Describing a rotational motion that occurs in the opposite direction to the way the hands of a clock move, commonly resulting in a leftward turn around a center

Etymology: Counterclockwise is a plain compound, built from three English parts. "Clock" comes from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch "klocke", meaning bell, because early mechanical clocks announced the hours by striking one. "Counter-" comes from Old French "contre", from Latin "contra", meaning against or opposite, and it appears here in its sense of reversing direction. "-wise" is the Old English suffix meaning "in the manner of" or "in the direction of", as in "likewise" or "otherwise". Joined together, the parts literally mean "in the manner of a clock, but against it." The modifier "counter" supplies the opposition, and "clockwise" supplies the direction that is being reversed. The word is an adverb in its own right, so it can describe a motion such as turning a knob or rotating a shape without needing any extra preposition.

Synonyms: anticlockwise