contrecoup

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noun

A bruising of the brain caused by a blow, appearing on the opposite side to that on which the blow was struck.

OriginFrench contrecoup ← Latin contra →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nouncontrecoup (plural contrecoups)

plural contrecoups

  1. medicineA bruising of the brain caused by a blow, appearing on the opposite side to that on which the blow was struck.

    These injuries, known as contrecoup injuries, appear on the opposite side of the brain from the point of impact because the brain is flung against its own protective (or in this case not-so-protective) casing.

    2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 79

Origin

  1. Latincontra
  2. Frenchcontrecoup
  3. Englishcontrecoup

Borrowed from French contrecoup, from contre (Latin contra) + coup a blow.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

contrecoup. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrecoup

MLA

“contrecoup.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrecoup. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrecoup,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrecoup.

Source: contrecoup on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.