Law, are persons that obtain any money or goods by counterfeit letters or false tokens, who being convicted before justices of assize or of peace, &c. are to suffer such punishment as shall be thought fit to be inflicted under death, as imprisonment, pillory, &c.

Counter-Foil, or Counter-Rock, in the exchequer, that part of a tally which is kept by an officer of the court.

Counter-Guard, in Fortification, is a work raised before the point of a bastion, consisting of two long faces parallel to the faces of the bastion, making a salient angle; they are sometimes of other shapes, or otherwise situated.

Counter-Light, or Counter-four, a light opposite to any thing, which makes it appear to disadvantage. A single counter-light is sufficient to take away all the beauty of a fine painting.

Counter-March, in military affairs, a change of the face or wings of a battalion, by which means those that were in the front come to be in the rear. It also signifies returning, or marching back again.

Counter-Mine, in War, a well and gallery drove and sunk till it meet the enemy's mine, to prevent its effect.

Counter-Paled, in Heraldry, is when the escutcheon is divided into twelve pales parted per fesse, the two colours being counter-changed; so that the upper are of one colour and the lower of another.

Counter-Part, in Music, denotes one part to be applied to another. Thus the bass is said to be a counterpart to the treble.

Counter-Passant, in Heraldry, is when two lions are in a coat of arms, and the one seems to go quite the contrary way from the other. Counter-Point, in Music, a term derived from the Latin preposition contra and the verb pungere; because the musical characters by which the notes in each part are signified are placed in such a manner, each with respect to each, as to show how the parts answer one another. See Composition.

Counter-Pointed (Contre-pointé), in Heraldry, is when two chevrons in one escutcheon meet in the points, the one rising as usual from the base, and the other inverted falling from the chief; so that they are counter to one another in the points. They may also be counter-pointed when they are founded upon the sides of the shield, and the points meet that way, called counter-pointed in fesse.

Counterpoise, in the manege, is the liberty of the action and seat of a horseman; so that in all the motions made by the horse, he does not incline his body more to one side than to the other, but continues in the middle of the saddle, being equally on his stirrups, in order to give the horse the proper and reasonable aids.

Counter-potent (contre-potent), in Heraldry, is reckoned a fur as well as vair or ermine; but composed of such pieces as represent the tops of crutches, called in French potences, and in old English potents.