counter-strike
UK[ˈkaʊntə ˌstraɪk]US[ˈkaʊntər ˌstraɪk]
n
A military or tactical move made in response to an enemy's attack.
n
(Counter-Strike) A popular series of tactical first-person shooter video games.
Morpheme Breakdown
counter
strike
counter
against
strike
hit
Etymology
The compound "counter-strike" is a modern military term built from two English words of distinct origins. "Counter," derived from Latin contra, entered English via Old French and signifies opposition. "Strike," a native English word from Proto-Germanic strīkaną, carries the core meaning of delivering a blow. The term's logic is transparent: it literally means "to strike back against" an attack. This literal military sense was later adopted as the title for a video game franchise, which then popularized the term in global digital culture, broadening its association to specific tactical team-based combat scenarios.
Analysis
Structure: counter (against) + strike (hit)
- counter: From Latin contra (against, opposite). A prefix indicating opposition or reciprocation.
- strike: From Old English strīcan (to go, move, stroke). A verb (and noun) meaning to hit or attack.
Examples
The general ordered a swift counter-strike against the invading forces.
He spends his evenings playing Counter-Strike with friends online.
The policy advocates for a proportional counter-strike in the event of a cyber-attack.