counterplot

English

WOTD – 20 June 2010

Etymology

From counter- +‎ plot.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊn.tə.plɒt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊn.tɚ.plɑt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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Noun

counterplot (plural counterplots)

1. A plot made in opposition to another; a counterploy.

Hypernyms

• plot

Translations

plot made in opposition to another

• Maori: tāhū taupatupatu
• Russian: контрзаговор (ru) m (kontrzagovor)

Verb

counterplot (third-person singular simple present counterplots, present participle counterplotting, simple past and past participle counterplotted)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To form a plot or plan in opposition to the actions of another.
   • 1832, Thomas De Quincey, Klosterheim Or, the Masque:

     Every wile had proved abortive, every plot had been counterplotted.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter VI, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book V:

     […] for while art made him more than ever reserved to Sophia, and forbad him to address any of his discourse to her, nay, to avoid meeting her eyes, with the utmost caution; nature was no less busy in counterplotting him.

Translations

to form a plot or plan in opposition to the actions of another