counterclockwise

[ koun-ter-klok-wahyz ]

/ ˌkaʊn tərˈklɒkˌwaɪz /

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adjective, adverb

in a direction opposite to that of the normal rotation of the hands of a clock; not clockwise.

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Also contraclockwise; especially British, anticlockwise.

Origin of counterclockwise

First recorded in 1885–90; counter- + clockwise

Words nearby counterclockwise

counterbrace, counterchange, countercharge, countercheck, counterclaim, counterclockwise, counterconditioning, countercoup, counterculture, countercurrent, countercyclical

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use counterclockwise in a sentence

The hook is generated by heavy rain wrapping counterclockwise around a low- to mid-level updraft circulation, called the mesocyclone.
Tornado hit Columbia Thursday, while straight-line winds slammed Fredericksburg|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow|July 30, 2021|Washington Post
If you spin it counterclockwise, you’ll see the tape unraveling inside the casing.
A modern guide to cassette tape players|Sandra Gutierrez|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
When playing sound, the sprockets move counterclockwise so the tape can roll over the magnet head from left to right.
A modern guide to cassette tape players|Sandra Gutierrez|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Rest for 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat for another 20 to 40 seconds, rolling the ball counterclockwise.
5 Moves to Protect Your Joints from Injury|Jenny McCoy|June 25, 2021|Outside Online

Rotate the swab counterclockwise, fold the card to bring the test strip in contact with the swab, and that’s it.
We reviewed three at-home covid tests. The results were mixed.|Antonio Regalado|May 4, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Clockwise rotation of the knob increases the volume, counterclockwise rotation diminishes the volume.
Zenith Television Receiver Operating Manual|Zenith Radio Corporation
Harrington exclaimed impatiently, then moved the threatened piece counterclockwise on the circle where he had placed it.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr
Turn the distributor counterclockwise until the points have just begun to open.
Essex Terraplane Six 1933 Owner's Manual of Information|Anonymous
Proceeding counterclockwise around northern Albania, the watershed divide was abandoned altogether along the northeast boundary.
Area Handbook for Albania|Eugene K. Keefe

British Dictionary definitions for counterclockwise

counterclockwise

contraclockwise

/ (ˌkaʊntəˈklɒkˌwaɪz) /

adverb, adjective

US and Canadian in the opposite direction to the rotation of the hands of a clockAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): anticlockwise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

counterclockwise

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Origin of counterclockwise

Words nearby counterclockwise

Words related to counterclockwise

How to use counterclockwise in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for counterclockwise

contraclockwise