contra

1. Against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to.

   Synonyms: against, anti

comparative more contra · superlative most contra

1. Contrary to something.

   […] it is useless to pray “Thy kingdom come” and vote contra or stay away from the polls; […]

   1893 November 30, “The W.C.T.U. Convention. Interesting Reports Considered in Relation to the Several Departments of the Work. Suggested Lines of Development—Programme for the Closing Day.”, in The Daily Colonist, volume LXX, number 148, Victoria, B.C., page 3, column 1

plural contras

1. businessA deal to swap goods or services.
2. derogatorygovernmentA conservative; originally tied to Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries.
3. attributiveoftenaccountingAn entry (or account) that cancels another entry (or account).

   a contra position; a contra entry

   1 more example

   The sum for each contra account is shown in the last column.

   Synonyms: counterentry

4. informalentertainmentAny of the musical instruments in the contrabass range, e.g. contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet or, especially, double bass.
5. danceA contra dance.
6. New EnglandUSobsoletedanceA country dance.

   Folk histories record that contras were gradually displaced by the introduction of the quadrille and the new couple dances.

   2001, Ellen Koskoff, editor, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America, Garland Publishing, page 232

present singular third person contras

1. no pastno present participleparticiplepastaccountingTo undo; to reverse.

   to contra a position (an entry)

plural Contras

1. A member of any of various rightist guerrilla groups violently opposing the socialist Sandinista government of Nicaragua and secretly funded by the United States government in the 1980s.