Counterstroke

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A responsive attack or blow delivered against an opponent who has just struck ; a reaction that works against or neutralizes an earlier move
2. A retaliatory strike made in return during a fight ; a countermeasure taken to oppose or cancel out an opposing action
3. An answering blow launched back at an attacker ; any response designed to undo or offset what someone else has done

Etymology: "Counterstroke" is a plain compound: "counter-" joined to "stroke," with "counter-" meaning "against" or "in opposition," as in "counterattack" and "counterweight." The combination is transparent, so the word's history lies mostly in its parts. "Stroke" traces back to Old English "strācian," meaning to stroke or caress, and its sense of a blow or a sudden act developed from the same root, the hitting sense being the one that gave the word its force here. A counterstroke, then, is a blow that answers another blow: a strike delivered in return, whether in a fight, a duel, or a military engagement. The word is a useful example of how English builds new vocabulary from existing parts, since a speaker can coin a fresh term for a response simply by attaching "counter-" to a familiar noun.

Synonyms: counterattack, counteroffensive, riposte, retaliation, countermove