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Contra

//ˈkɒntɹə// adv, noun, prep, verb, slang

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    Contrary to something.

    "[…] it is useless to pray “Thy kingdom come” and vote contra or stay away from the polls; […]"

Noun
  1. 1
    A deal to swap goods or services.
  2. 2
    A member of any of various rightist guerrilla groups violently opposing the socialist Sandinista government of Nicaragua and secretly funded by the United States government in the 1980s.
  3. 3
    a member of the guerrilla force that opposed a left-wing government in Nicaragua wordnet
  4. 4
    A conservative; originally tied to Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries. derogatory
  5. 5
    An entry (or account) that cancels another entry (or account). attributive, often

    "a contra position; a contra entry"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Any of the musical instruments in the contrabass range, e.g. contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet or, especially, double bass. informal
  2. 7
    A contra dance.
  3. 8
    A country dance. New-England, US, obsolete

    "Folk histories record that contras were gradually displaced by the introduction of the quadrille and the new couple dances."

Preposition
  1. 1
    Against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to.
Verb
  1. 1
    To undo; to reverse. no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past

    "to contra a position (an entry)"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

Etymology 2

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

Etymology 3

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

Etymology 4

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

Etymology 5

Short for Spanish contrarrevolucionarios (“counter-revolutionaries”).

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