counterdefense

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noun

A defensive response to another organism's defense, such as of a parasite or pathogen

“viral counterdefense against host resistance”

OriginEnglish defense ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

nouncounterdefense (plural counterdefenses)

plural counterdefenses

  1. biologyA defensive response to another organism's defense, such as of a parasite or pathogen

    viral counterdefense against host resistance

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Englishdefense
  13. Englishcounterdefense

From counter- + defense.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

counterdefense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterdefense

MLA

“counterdefense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterdefense. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterdefense,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterdefense.

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