Counterfire

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An action involving the firing of weapons in response to enemy gunfire; the act of directing opposing artillery or gunshots back toward an attacker; a military tactic aimed at neutralizing hostile fire through immediate return of fire
2. The execution of shooting back at an enemy who has initiated gunfire; the practice of targeting opposing forces with weapons to suppress or halt their fire; a strategic method of retaliation in combat to regain control
3. A responsive discharge of arms intended to counteract and diminish enemy firing; the process of engaging in reciprocal shooting to protect or defend against attack; a combat technique used to offset or disrupt opposing weapon strikes

Etymology: "Counterfire" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it joins "counter-", from Latin "contra" meaning "against" and used in English to mean opposing or answering, with "fire", the discharge of weapons. Put together, the word describes firing back at an enemy in order to suppress or blunt their shooting. The compound is built on a older pattern. English has long used "counter-" to form words for opposing actions, such as "counterattack" and "counterblast," and "counterfire" follows that model directly. Its meaning stays close to the literal sense of firing against firing, which is why it reads so plainly today.

Synonyms: return fire, retaliation fire, counterattack

Antonyms: initial fire, first strike