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counter

counter

1 4.6
A small object used to keep score or mark a place in a game
  • noun
  • /ˈkaʊntər/
: ficha

And, you know, sometimes I'd lose some of the counters and stuff too.

Examples

  • Time is a child moving counters in a game.

  • I picked up a dreidel from Bubbe's counter and gave it a spin.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Two counters, one for tobacco... and things, the other for sweetmeats.

  • Students can sort colors using pom-poms, buttons, foam stickers, dinosaur counters, pattern blocks, or basic counters.

    Academic text (2013)
  • During the board game, each player used colored counters to keep track of their scores.

  • The children placed their counters on the game board to mark their progress in the race.

  • To mark where they were in the game, players moved their counters around the board after every turn.

Idioms

To sell things secretly when this is not allowed

Compounds

Medicine you can buy without a doctor's prescription

over the counter
  • Specialized
29 2.7

Medicine you can buy without a doctor's prescription

bean counter
  • Offensive
13 7.4

A person who pays too much attention to small money details and misses the big picture

Geiger counter
  • Specialized
10 4.8

A device that detects and measures invisible radiation from radioactive materials

over-the-counter
  • Specialized
6 6.0

Stocks or bonds not listed on a stock market that dealers buy and sell

A medicine you can buy without a doctor's prescription

A counter in a store where people pay for their items

2 2.8

A person who adds up votes to find the result in an election or meeting

A story that challenges the official version of events

A medicine you can buy without a doctor's prescription

2 1.3

A counter in a store where people sell meat like steak or chicken

Information that goes against a claim

1 6.6

A market where people buy and sell shares directly by phone or computer

A movement in the Catholic Church in the 1500s to strengthen Catholic belief and practice after the Protestant Reformation

1 6.5

A share not listed on a stock exchange that is bought and sold through dealers

Sold or done secretly to avoid the law

1 9.9

A private financial contract made between two parties, not traded on a public exchange

scintillation counter
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A device that detects radiation using flashes of light

An action that opposes and undoes earlier changes

heel counter
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A piece of stiff material at the back of a shoe that supports the heel

counter conditioning
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A therapy method that teaches a calm response instead of fear to something

A small counter that sells light food and drinks

Describing an action or message that challenges the official story

counter check
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A blank check the bank gives you to get money when your personal checks are not available

1 6.9

A part of a store where staff sell small sewing items like buttons and thread

Actions that stop enemy jamming of radios and radar

rivet counter
  • Jargon
1 8.9

A person who cares too much about small unimportant details in a hobby or project

vote counter
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A machine or program that adds up votes by itself in an election

1 6.7

An investment like a stock or bond traded directly through dealers, not on a stock market

proportional counter
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A device that detects and measures radiation by counting electric charges created inside a tube

pulse counter
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A device that counts small electric signals from machines

boron counter tube
  • Specialized
8.1

A tube filled with boron that detects neutrons in experiments

counter tube
  • Specialized
9.1

A device that detects radiation by counting particles in a tube filled with gas

Opposing reforms to bring back older rules

A person who tries to bring back the old government after a revolution

counter-sabotage
  • Specialized
8.2

Actions to find and stop people who damage important equipment

crystal counter
  • Archaic
9.9

A device that detects radiation when particles hit a crystal

Geiger-Muller counter
  • Specialized
6.9

A device with a gas-filled tube that detects and measures radiation

8.2

A tube that detects radiation and gives an electrical signal showing how strong the radiation is

spark counter
  • Specialized
7.8

A device that makes tiny sparks when particles from radiation pass through it

How Big

tile
9 4.2
token
  • Archaic
38 3.6
counter
1 4.6
chip
124 3.4
dot
310 1.0

Surface Forms

counter singular
counters plural

Morphology

counter = count (semi-transparent) = count + er

A game 'counter' is historically something used for counting or keeping score, but the specific sense of a small playing token is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

In games a counter is a small piece used for score or position, and the name comes from the verb count because players used these pieces to 'count' points or moves.