[COUNTER- 1.]
† 1. trans. Of a person: To weigh against. Obs.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, I. xix. (1632), 31. He is verie unworthie her acquaintance, that counter-ballanceth her cost to his fruit, and knowes neither the graces nor use of it.
2. Of a thing: To act as a counterbalance to; to counterpoise.
1611. Cotgr., Contrebalancer, to counterbalance or counterpeise;… to make of equall weight with.
1665. R. Hooke, Microgr., 223. The greatest height of the Cylinder of Mercury, which of it self counterballances the whole pressure of the Atmosphere.
1751. Labelye, Westm. Br., 117. The Thrust or lateral Pressure of those Arches is intirely counterballanced and destroyed.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, I. 119. If a guinea … be counterbalanced by 129 grains in the opposite scale of the balance.
1840–56. S. C. Brees, Gloss. Civil Engin., 123. A weight employed to counterbalance the vibrating parts of machinery upon their axes.
3. fig. To balance or neutralize the effect of, by a contrary power or influence.
1636. E. Dacres, trans. Machiavel’s Disc. Livy, II. 347. Nor let Hannibals opinion counterballance this.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 687. These Mechanick Theists are again counterballanced by another sort of Atheists, not Mechanical.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. I. viii. 91. Two opposite causes seem to counterbalance one another.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt (1868), 4. A meeting-place to counter-balance the alehouse.
Hence Counterbalanced, Counterbalancing ppl. adjs.; Counterbalancer, an arrangement in an organ acting as a counterbalance.
1611. Cotgr., Contrebalancé, counterbalanced, counterpeised.
1651. Howell, Venice, 77. Venice made a counter-balancing League with the King of Boheme.
1839. R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 105. An eccentric pulley, with its counterbalancing weight to the long diameter.
1875. R. F. Martin, trans. Havrez’ Winding Mach., 37. The saving of coal by means of counterbalanced drums.
1881. C. A. Edwards, Organs, 43. An arrangement of what are called counterbalancers is used.
