- counter
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 long flat surfaceADJECTIVE▪ checkout (AmE), post office (BrE), shop (esp. BrE), store (AmE)▪
There was a line of people waiting at the checkout counter.
▪ cosmetic (AmE), cosmetics, make-up▪ deli, delicatessen, meat▪He works at the meat counter.
▪ bar, lunch (AmE)▪They sat on high stools at the bar counter.
▪ check-in (AmE), reception, ticket (esp. AmE)▪an airline check-in counter
▪ bathroom (AmE), kitchen (esp. AmE), sink (AmE)▪She put her bags down on the kitchen counter.
▪ Formica™ (esp. AmE), glass, granite, marble, woodenVERB + COUNTER▪ serve at (esp. AmE), serve behind (esp. BrE), work at (esp. AmE), work behind▪Mary worked behind the counter at Bacon's for a few hours a week.
▪ wipe, wipe down▪The bartender wiped down the counter in silence.
▪ approach▪He approached the counter and showed his ticket.
COUNTER + NOUN▪ top (esp. AmE)▪The kitchen had black marble counter tops.
▪ staff (BrE)▪post office counter staff
PREPOSITION▪ across a/the counter▪He pushed the money across the counter to her.
▪ at a/the counter, behind a/the counter▪The assistant behind the counter gave a curt nod.
▪ on a/the counter▪all the goods on the counter
▪ over the counter (often figurative)▪She handed me my coffee over the counter.
▪This kind of medication cannot be bought over the counter (= without a prescription).
2 action used to prevent sthADJECTIVE▪ effectivePREPOSITION▪ counter to▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}an effective counter to the blandness of modern culture
verbCounter is used with these nouns as the object: ↑allegation, ↑argument, ↑criticism, ↑effect, ↑influence, ↑invasion, ↑menace, ↑myth, ↑perception, ↑problem, ↑propaganda, ↑threat, ↑view
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
