Forms: 3–6 countrefet(e, 4 -feet, 5 -fayt(e, 6 -feict; 4–5 contrefet(e, 5–6 -fayt(e, -faict, -fait; 6 Sc. contrafait; 5 contirfet, 6 conterfeit, etc.; 5–7 cownter-, countir-, countyrfet(e, etc.; 4–7 counterfet, -fete, -feet, 5–6 fett(e, 5–7 -feyt(e, -fayt(e, -fait(e, -faict, 6 -feict, -fect(e, -feight, etc., 6–7 -feat, etc., 7 -fitte, 6– -feit. [a. OF. contrefet, -fait, pa. pple. of contrefaire = Pr. contrafar, Cat. contrafer, It. contraffare, f. L. type contrā-facĕre to make in opposition or contrast, hence, in opposing imitation. (Contrāfactio, setting in opposition or contrast, occurs in Cassiodorus, and the verb in med.L.). In Fr., from the 14th c., often spelt -faict after L., whence in Eng. in 15–16th c. -faict, -fect.]
† A. as pa. pple. Obs.
† 1. Made in imitation of that which is genuine; imitated, forged: see the verb. Obs.
[1292. Britton, I. v. § 14. Deners countrefetz a nostre monee.]
c. 1386. [see COUNTERFEIT v. 1 b].
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 192. This letter … Was counterfet in suche a wise, That no man shulde it apperceive.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 803. Many well counterfeit Jewels, make the true mistrusted.
1631. Star Chamb. Cases (Camden), 69. That it was counterfeit by some young counterfeiter.
† 2. Made to a pattern; fashioned, wrought. Obs.
1463. Bury Wills (1850), 23. A basyn and an ever of laten cownterfet therto.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXVI. xvii. Their shyppe boate curiously counterfayte.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, IV. 687. The water counterfet Like unto blacke Avernus lake.
† 3. Transformed in appearance, disguised. Obs.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iv. 120. She loked a longe the halle, Where she saw her sonnes thus countrefayte, whyche she knewe not. Ibid., xiv. 315. He … dysguysed hymself wonderfully … And whan he was thus torned and countrefayt, [etc.].
† 4. Represented by a picture or image. Obs.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xix. (Arb.). 245. For nothing can be kindly counterfait or represented in his absence, but by great discretion.
B. adj.
1. Of material things or substances: Made in imitation of something else, ‘imitation,’ not genuine; made of inferior or base materials; spurious, sham, base (esp. of coin).
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xvii. 99. If he be not but countirfeet goold.
1530. Palsgr., 209/2. Counterfayt heer, perrevcque.
1553. Grimalde, Cicero’s Offices (1556), 144 b. Counterfet money in stede of good.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., IV. iv. (1675), 194. A Bait, which … proves but a counterfeit Fly.
1666. Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 497. A frame … of counterfeite tortoise shell.
1705. Addison, Italy, 12. The Palace, which without these Counterfeit Pillars would be beautiful in its kind.
1717. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xlvi. 32. Of … that paste … they make counterfeit jewels.
1878. Jevons, Primer Pol. Econ., 107. It is difficult to make any counterfeit gold or silver.
b. Of writings: Forged, not genuine, spurious.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 194. This letter counterfete The messanger … bare.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 579/1. Knowe whiche wer the verye true scripture of God, and which wer scriptures countrefet.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 123/2. Panetius believes them to be his own, not counterfeit.
1788. Priestley, Lect. Hist., IV. xxx. 224. To distinguish those that are truly ancient and genuine from such as are counterfeit.
1857. Maurice, Ep. St. John, ii. 21. To discern between the honest record and the counterfeit one.
† c. Fashioned, made after a pattern. Obs.
1463. Act 3 Edw. IV., c. 4. Countrefeit basyns, ewers, hattes, brusshes, [etc.].
2. Of things immaterial: Pretended, feigned, false, sham.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 70. Wiþ a contrefet simplesse, Which hid was in a fals corage.
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, 1389. That counterfet church standeth al by mennys tradycyons.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, II. xxvi. (1640), 17. This painted and counterfeit goodnesse.
1718. Freethinker, No. 39, ¶ 5. These Counterfeit Terrours often grow … to be Real.
1837. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (ed. 3), I. xiv. 205. I also warn you against a counterfeit earnestness.
Comb. 1538. Beggar’s Petit., in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 151. Counterfeit-holy, and idle beggars, and vagabonds.
† b. Disguised. Obs.
1724. Swift, Drapier’s Lett., v. This counterfeit hand of my prentice is not very legible.
3. Of persons: a. That pretends or is falsely represented to be (what is denoted by the noun); sham, pretended.
1530. Palsgr., 209/2. Counterfayt gentylman, gentillatre.
1548. Hall, Chron., 229. This counterfeight Herault.
c. 1600. Norden, Spec. Brit. Cornw. (1728), 33. Perkyn Werbeck landed in Cornwall, a Counterfecte Prince.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 117. Ire, envie and despair, Which marrd his borrow’d visage, and betraid Him counterfet, if any eye beheld.
1823. Chalmers, Serm., I. 420. The counterfeit and the worthless Poor do a world of mischief to the cause of beneficence.
† b. Pretending to be what he is not; false, deceitful. Obs.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, liv. 181. He is some counterfeyt varlet.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 18. A craftie, close, and counterfect felow.
1603. Jas. I., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 244, III. 80. I ame also glaide of the discoverie of yone litle counterfitte Wenche.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., VI. § 22. Fabulous or counterfeit writers.
† 4. Misshapen, deformed. Obs. [After F. contrefait; cf. COUNTERFEITED 2.]
c. 1450. Merlin, xxxii. 635. A dwerf, the moste contirfet and foulest that eny hadde sein.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 422/2. Hir ii handes were styffe and contrefayte.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 52. Harts beare their heads in diuers sorts and manners, some well growne … some other counterfet.
† 5. Imitated or represented in a picture or image (or transf. in writing or literary art); portrayed.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xix. (Arb.), 246. This kinde of representation is called the Counterfait countenance.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. iv. 54. Looke heere, vpon this Picture, and on this, The counterfet presentment of two Brothers.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., x. To infuse into the counterfeit countenance of Miss Nickleby a bright salmon flesh-tint.
C. sb.
1. A false or spurious imitation.
a. of material things or substances.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xiv. 160. Men counterfeten hem [diamonds] often of Cristalle…. But … theise contrefetes ben not so harde.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 540. Neuer call a true peece of Gold a Counterfeit.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, I. 17. They haue no Beards but counterfeits.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, II. viii. (1840), 289. Every coin has its counterfeit, every art its pretender.
1864. Bowen, Logic, xi. 353. I cannot be sure that ‘it is an apple.’ It may be only a wax counterfeit.
b. of things abstract or immaterial.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. iii. 109. Counterfeit? There was neuer counterfeit of passion came so neere the life of passion as she discouers it.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Pref. Els Justice … were not Justice, but a fals counterfet of that impartial and Godlike vertue.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 168–9. One who does not value real glory will not value its counterfeit.
c. A writing, etc., that is not genuine; a forgery.
1613. J. Salkeld, Treat. Angels, 322. Though for the same also Origines be cited: yet certaine it is, that that Origines is a counterfeit.
1624. Gataker, Transubst., 109. Citing (besides some of his owne counterfaits …) a saying of S. Chrysostome.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, III. iii. He has the original deed … the others are counterfeits.
† 2. One who imitates another for whom he passes himself off; a pretender, an impostor. Obs.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apocalips, 30. Of which Epistles … the fifth and seuenth are directed too the counterfets and hypocrites.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 232. The two counterfeits, Lambert, and Perkin Warbeck.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, III. vii. 88. Narses met him; and upon speech with him, found him a counterfet.
1754. Sherlock, Disc. (1759), I. i. 36. The specious Pretences of Counterfeits and Impostors.
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 86. The persons who could best detect the counterfeit, if he [Perkin Warbeck] had been one.
† b. = COUNTERFEITER 1. Obs. rare.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. Vocation, 1326. To boyl to death some cunning counterfeit That with false stamp some Princes Coyn hath beat.
† 3. An imitation or representation in painting, sculpture, etc.; an image, likeness, portrait. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xx. 218. All þo þat ben maryed han a countrefete made lyche a mannes foot vpon here hedes … in tokene þat þei ben vnder mannes fote and vnder subieccioun.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 322. They never painted the resemblaunce or counterfaite of Gods contenaunce in table, or picture.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 115. What finde I here? Faire Portias counterfeit.
1606. Holland, Sueton., 39. An olde little counterfeit in brasse representing him being a child.
1620. T. May, Heir, in Dodsley (1780), VIII. 126. Wear it about ’em as lovers do their mistress’ counterfeit.
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 99. Making more lively Counterfaits of Nature in Wax.
a. 1843. Southey, Inscriptions, xlv. Him, in whose prophetic counterfeit Preserved, the children … may see their father’s face, Here to the very life pourtray’d.
b. fig. A copy. arch.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xiv. (1617), 210. In the outward man we haue a Counterfeit of the whole world.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 16. He looketh like the king … I neuer saw so liuely counterfet Of Richard Cordelion, as in him.
1879. J. D. Long, Æneid, IX. 378. Entranced at such A counterfeit of his own filial love.
† 4. A deformed or misshapen person: cf. B. 4.
1557. North, Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 73 b/2. I am lame, I am crooked, I am balde, I am a counterfeyte.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 177. He had Dwarfes, crookebackes, and other deformed counterfeits … to laugh at.
† 5. The action of counterfeiting. Obs. rare.
1843. trans. Custine’s Empire of Czar, III. 309. Such originality as they have, lies in the gift of counterfeit, which they possess more amply than any other people.
