counterturn

C3O1U1N1T1E1R1T1U1R1N1

noun

A turn in the other direction; one of the turns of a zigzag.

Scrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nouncounterturn (plural counterturns)

plural counterturns

  1. A turn in the other direction; one of the turns of a zigzag.

    Every turn, every spiral, every extension eventually has to be tempered by a counterturn, a counterspiral, or a flexion; sometimes strong, sometimes subtle.

    2010, Richard Freeman, The Mirror of Yoga
  2. The critical moment in a drama, when, contrary to expectation, the action is embroiled in new difficulties.

    turns and counterturns of plot

    1668, John Dryden, Essay of Dramatick Poesie

Origin

From counter- + turn.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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