Counterfoil

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The part of a cheque or ticket that is kept by the issuer as a record while the main portion is given away
2. The stub portion of a cheque or receipt that remains with the issuer for their records and verification
3. The portion of a cheque or ticket held back by the issuer as proof of transaction, with the other part being detached and given to the recipient

Etymology: The counterfoil is the part of a cheque, receipt or ticket that stays behind in the book as a record when the other part is torn off and handed over. The word is a plain English compound: "counter-" meaning "against" or "corresponding to", joined to "foil", a leaf or sheet. Together they describe a leaf that matches and mirrors the one given to the customer. The "counter-" element has a longer journey than the rest. It traces back through Latin "contra", "against", and reached English through Old French "contre" and Anglo-Norman "countre", arriving in Middle English as "counter-". The "foil" part is the older English noun for a thin leaf of material, and it sits comfortably with "counter-" to name the piece that is kept back as a check against the other.

Synonyms: stub, counterpart, duplicate