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over the counter
1adverb
- not transacted through an organized securities exchange; directly to the buyer or from the seller:
He sold his stocks over the counter.
- Pharmacology. without a doctor's prescription but within the law.
over-the-counter
2[ oh-ver-thuh-koun-ter ]
adjective
- unlisted on or not part of an organized securities exchange: : OTC
over-the-counter stocks; the over-the-counter market.
- Pharmacology. sold legally without a doctor's prescription: : OTC
over-the-counter drugs.
over-the-counter
adjective
- (of securities) not listed or quoted on a stock exchange
- (of a security market) dealing in such securities
- (of security transactions) conducted through a broker's office directly between purchaser and seller and not on a stock exchange
- (of medicinal drugs) able to be sold without a prescription OTC Compare ortho-
Word History and Origins
Origin of over the counter1
Origin of over the counter2
Example Sentences
Video seen by the Canadian Press reportedly shows police firing their guns over the counter of a convenience store and yelling "move over" as they aim their weapons.
It’s available by prescription in the UK and over the counter in the US.
As in other former Soviet countries, broad-spectrum antibiotics are sold over the counter, leading to misuse.
The first Trump administration preferred direct deal-making, whereby autocrats cut a private bargain over the counter.
Varenicline is a prescription only medicine, which means people cannot buy it over the counter at a pharmacy or supermarket and will instead need to see their GP or an NHS stop smoking service to get it.
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