English

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Etymology

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From counter- +‎ pose.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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counterpose (third-person singular simple present counterposes, present participle counterposing, simple past and past participle counterposed)

  1. To act as a counterweight; to counterbalance.
  2. To create a contrast by juxtaposing.
    • 1976 December 25, John Kyper, “Un-becoming Men”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 26, page 12:
      Part II is a chapter on male socialization. One selection discusses the sex role pressures upon children, another is about ghetto males, and a third is on the influence of high school athletics. Much of it is dry reading, but counterposed are two painful personal accounts.

Noun

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counterpose (plural counterposes)

  1. A pose taken in opposition to another.
    • 1986, Yoga Journal, number 71, page 49:
      Utkatasana (Figure 4-e) acts as a counterpose to the previous postures because it eases the stretch in the legs.