[F. contre-coup a counter-blow, back-blow, rebound, and in Surg. as in sense 2; f. contre against + coup blow.]
1. ‘Opposition, a repulse in the pursuit of any object’ (Jamieson).
2. Surg. The effect of a blow, as an injury, fracture, produced exactly opposite, or at some distance from, the part actually struck.
1830. S. Cooper, Dict. Pract. Surg. (ed. 6), 607. Sometimes the fracture [occurs] elsewhere, as the effect of what the French call a contre-coup.
1870. T. Holmes, Surgery (ed. 2), II. 316. The one … is a direct contusion, the other a contusion by contre-coup of the brain substance.
1882. Syd. Soc. Lex., Contre-coup … is often very severe in the skull, for instance, the bone may be fractured on the opposite side to the seat of injury.
