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At or against the front or face. [R.] Which [darts] they never throw counter, but at the back of the flier. Sandys.

A weight, power, or agency, acting against or balancing another; as:

To oppose; to revoke the command of. For us to alter anuthing, is to lift ourselves against God; and, as it were, to countermand him. Hooker.

other sratagem or project is defeated. Thinking himself contemned, knowing no countermine against contempt but terror. Sir P. Sidney.

To plead the contrary of; to plead against; to deny.

The setting of note against note in harmony; the adding of one or more parts to a given canto fermo or melody.

To act against with equal weight; to equal in weght; to balance the weight of; to counterbalance. Weigts, counterpoising one another. Sir K. Digby.

Counterbalance; balance, as of one scale against another. [Obs.] Howell.

Resistance; opposition; a stand against. Making counterstand to Robert Guiscard. Longfellow.

To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or for; to counterbalance; to compensate. Upon balancing the account, the profit at last will hardly countervail the inconveniences that go allong with it. L'Estrange.

To wait or watch for; to be on guard against. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To weigh against; to counterbalance.

ary or naval officers, for the trial of one belonging to the army or navy, or of offenses against military or naval law.

, to turn the front wheels out of line with the hind wheels, so that one of them shall be against the body of the wagon.

with life; an animal; a man. He asked water, a creature so common and needful that it was against the law of nature to deny him. Fuller. God's first creature was light. Bacon. On earth, join, all ye creatures, to extol Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. Milton. And most attractive is the fair result Of th…

, or a certificate that one is a duly elected delegate. The committee of estates excepted against the credentials of the English commissioners. Whitelocke. Had they not shown undoubted credentials from the Divine Person who sent them on such a message. Addison.

m a misdemeanor or trespass, or other slight offense. Hence, also, any aggravated offense against morality or the public welfare; any outrage or great wrong. "To part error from crime." Tennyson.

Spars or timbers set up as a support against the side of a building.

same relation to each other. Cross action (Law), an action brought by a party who is sued against the person who has sued him, upon the same subject matter, as upon the same contract. Burrill. -- Cross aisle (Arch.), a transept; the lateral divisions of a cruciform church. -- Cross axie. (a) (Mach.) A shaft, windlass…

The interrogating or questioning of a witness by the party against whom he has been called and examined. See Examination.