Counterstroke
/ˈkaʊn.tə.strəʊk/noun
A retaliatory or answering blow, attack, or move.
Did you know?“Counter-” ultimately comes from Latin *contra* (“against”), while “stroke” comes from Old English *strāc*/*strācian* language of striking, so the word literally builds a response out of opposition and impact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kom
“with, together; in certain later descendants, the source of opposition via compound formations”
Latin
Latin
contra
“against, opposite”
Old English
Old English
strācian
“to strike, hit, or make a blow”
Middle English
Middle English
counterstrok
“a retaliatory blow or opposing strike”
Modern English
English
counterstroke
“a blow or action made in response to an attack”