contra

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

prep

1. against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to

adv

1. contrary to something
   […] it is useless to pray “Thy kingdom come” and vote contra or stay away from the polls; […] 30 November 1893, “The W.C.T.U. Convention. Interesting Reports Considered in Relation to the Several Departments of the Work. Suggested Lines of Development—Programme for the Closing Day.”, in The Daily Colonist, volume LXX, number 148, Victoria, B.C., page 3, column 1

noun

1. (business) A deal to swap goods or services.
2. (politics, derogatory) A conservative; originally tied to Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries.
3. (accounting, often attributive) An entry (or account) that cancels another entry (or account).
   a contra position; a contra entry
   The sum for each contra account is shown in the last column.
4. (music, informal) Any of the musical instruments in the contrabass range, e.g. contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet or, especially, double bass.
5. (dance) A contra dance.
6. (obsolete, US, New England, dance) A country dance.
   Folk histories record that contras were gradually displaced by the introduction of the quadrille and the new couple dances. 2001, Ellen Koskoff, editor, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America, Garland Publishing, page 232

verb

1. (accounting) To undo; to reverse.
   to contra a position (an entry)