countermarchn.
/ˈkaʊntəˌmɑːtʃ/ 1. A march in the contrary direction; a march back. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > manoeuvre > [noun] > march
march1575
countermarch1598
tab1982
1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres ii. 28 Keeping well their arayes, in march, countermarch, etc.
1679 E. Everard Disc. Protestant Princes 12 By the divers Marches and Counter~marches which these two Armies made.
1810 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) VI. 441 To give General Leith's corps the trouble of a countermarch.
1863 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea II. 507 Wasting time and strength in a march towards the seashore, and a countermarch back to the Telegraph.
2. Military. An evolution by which the front and rear, or the right and left file, of a body of cavalry or infantry change places, the original order of the files being retained. Now Obsolete.The front rank turns to the right and marches off, while the rear rank does the same to the left, each wheeling close round the end toward which it marches, and thus stepping into the place of the other, but facing in the opposite direction. It is now superseded by ‘changing ranks’, in which the whole simply face about, and number off anew, the rear rank then becoming the front.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [noun] > countermarching
countermarching1625
countermarch1635
1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discipline xviii. 56 A part Countermarch is when one Moity, or part of the Body counter archeth, etc.
1678 A. Lovell tr. La Fontaine Mil. Duties Cavalry 9 Of Counter-marches.
1796 Instr. & Regulations Cavalry 131 The countermarch changes the front and flanks of a body, and faces it to its rear, and is equivalent to a wheel of the half circle made on any of its parts or points.
1847 Infantry Man. (1854) 55 Countermarches by files..tend to an extension of the files.
1884 Field Exerc. Infantry 84 On the word Front, the guides will change flanks and take post as before the counter-march.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
countermarchv.
/ˈkaʊntəˌmɑːtʃ/ 1. intransitive. To march in a contrary direction; to march back.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > manoeuvre > [verb (intransitive)] > move or march
move?a1400
marcha1450
remarch1620
countermarch1644
to get over ——1781
yomp1982
tab1985
1644 in J. Rushworth Hist. Coll.: Third Pt. (1692) II. 690 The Earl of Essex..pretended to Countermarch to the East.
a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iv. 171 Standing in readiness to march, to countermarch, and change our measures alertly, as occasion shall require.
1811 Hist. Europe in Ann. Reg. 113/1 Gen. Graham immediately countermarched in order to support the troops left for its defence.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 333 Mackay..wasted some weeks in marching, in countermarching, and in indecisive skirmishing.
2. Military. To execute a countermarch (countermarch n. 2).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [verb (intransitive)] > countermarch
countermarch1625
1625 G. Markham Souldiers Accidence 19 Rankes, counter~march from the right hand to the left.
1832 Proposed Regulations Cavalry iii. 83 The Regiment in Line is required to countermarch on its centre.
1884 Field Exerc. Infantry 84 Counter-marching and changing Ranks. [This is the last appearance of Counter-marching in the official manual.]
3. transitive. To cause to countermarch (in either sense).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > manoeuvre > [verb (transitive)] > cause to march
march?1591
remarch1620
countermarcha1658
society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [verb (transitive)] > countermarch
countermarch1796
a1658 J. Cleveland Engagem. Stated 43 He..Must first..Like Witches compact counter-march his Faith.
1796 Instr. & Regulations Cavalry 125 When the column..is to proceed in the new direction, and therefore to be countermarched in part.
1859 F. A. Griffiths Artillerist's Man. (1862) 11 A Company in line may..be countermarched by Files.
4. To traverse in marching back.
ΚΠ
1855 P. T. Barnum Life 13 I..had..a distance of three miles, which I marched and countermarched six times per week.
Derivatives
ˈcountermarcher n.
ΚΠ
1689 T. Plunket Char. Good Commander 28 Encounter Counter~marchers, and they'll soon Run Counter-Cross into confusion.
ˈcountermarching n.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [noun] > countermarching
countermarching1625
countermarch1635
1625 G. Markham Souldiers Accidence 20 In counter-marching..you are to name neither Rankes nor Files.
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 52 Their..Marchings, Countermarchings..were done with..Order.
1889 Spectator 30 Nov. After his [sc. Stanley's] eighteen months of hideous suffering, of marching and counter-marching.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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