counterflow

C3O1U1N1T1E1R1F4L1O1W4

noun

A flow in the opposite direction; or the flow of two fluids in opposite directions

OriginEnglish flow ← Middle English flowe ← Old English flōwan →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nouncounterflow (countable and uncountable, plural counterflows)

plural counterflows

  1. countableuncountableA flow in the opposite direction; or the flow of two fluids in opposite directions

    We, too, used[…] a counterflow heat exchanger to warm incoming fresh air.

    2009 January 5, “Using the Earth and Sun to Provide Home Heating”, in New York Times
  2. PhilippinescountableuncountableDriving in the opposite direction.
verbcounterflow (third-person singular simple present counterflows, present participle counterflowing, simple past and past participle counterflowed)

present singular third person counterflows · participle present counterflowing · participle past counterflowed · past counterflowed

  1. To flow in the opposite direction

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
contraflow

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. Proto-Indo-European*plew-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*plōw-der.?
  14. Proto-Indo-European*plew-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₃(w)-der.?
  16. Proto-Germanic*flōaną
  17. Proto-West Germanic*flōan
  18. Old Englishflōwan
  19. Middle Englishflowen
  20. Middle Englishflowe
  21. Englishflow
  22. Englishcounterflow

From counter- + flow.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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