Countermove

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A deliberate action taken in reply to an opponent's previous action, especially in a game, contest or dispute
2. A responsive step made to counter what a rival has just done, aimed at neutralizing its effect
3. Any move designed to answer or offset an adversary's maneuver, whether in chess, politics or negotiation

Etymology: "Countermove" is a plain compound, built from the prefix "counter-" and the verb "move." The prefix comes from Old French "contre," which descends from Latin "contrā," meaning "against" or "opposite." English borrowed it as a prefix in the Middle English period, and it was attached freely to English words to mean "in opposition to" or "in return." The base "move" has a longer road into English. It traces back to Latin "movēre," meaning "to set in motion," which passed through Old French "movoir" (or "mouvoir") before Middle English took it up as "moven." Its root sense is simply motion, so a countermove is, at its core, a motion set against another.

Synonyms: countermeasure, riposte, counter