counterword
[ koun-ter-wurd ]
/ ˈkaʊn tərˌwɜrd /
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noun
a word, often of short-lived popularity, widely used as an almost meaningless, automatic response.
a word that has come to be used with a meaning much less specific than that which it had originally, as swell, awful, or terrific.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for counterword
counterword
/ (ˈkaʊntəˌwɜːd) /
noun
a word widely used in a sense much looser than its original meaning, such as tremendous or awful
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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