Forms: see prec. [f. prec.; taken as ad. F. contrefaire.]
1. trans. To make an imitation of, imitate (with intent to deceive): a. an action, etc.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4311. Þus sal anticrist þan countrefette Þe wondirs of God.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 30 b. By theyr enchauntementes … counterfeytynge the myracles of Moyses.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 1069. That false Worm, of whomsoever taught To counterfet Mans voice.
1719. J. Richardson, Art Crit., 186. Colouring and Drawing … are as impossible to be Counterfeited as the Handling.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. vi. Counterfeiting a sneeze.
b. a thing: To make a fraudulent imitation of, forge (e.g., coin, bank-notes, handwriting).
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 648 (Harl. MS.). Stolen were his lettres pryuely … And countrefet þey were subtilly.
1590. Hakluyt, Pict. Virginia, Pref. (1888). Yf any seeke to contrefaict thes my bookx.
1602. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., 88. If a man doe counterfeit the Kings money … this is treason.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 95. The prisoners which counterfeyted my L. Staffordes hande and seale.
1737. Berkeley, Lett., Wks. 1871, IV. 249. That it be felony to counterfeit the notes of this bank.
1790. Paley, Horæ Paul., i. 6. Two attempts to counterfeit St. Paul’s epistles.
1839. Thirlwall, Greece, II. 378. He counterfeited the seal of Pausanias, [and] opened the letter entrusted to him.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 43. The coins … would become dirty and easily counterfeited.
absol. 1724. Swift, Drapier’s Lett., vi. Continuing, and counterfeiting as long as he lives.
† c. To make spurious, adulterate. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xli. (1495). Saffron is somtyme countrefetyd wyth a thynge that hyght Croco magina … the superfluyte of spycery.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 65. It [saffron] is craftily counterfeited by … adding thereto … lead to encrease the weight.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chym., I. xvi. (ed. 3), 367. Crystal Mineral is often counterfeited, by mixing Roche-alom with it during the fusion…. This adulteration may be known [etc.].
2. To make (anything) in fraudulent imitation of something else; to make or devise (something spurious) and pass it off as genuine; to forge.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 648. And countrefeted was ful subtilly Another lettre wroght ful synfully.
1393. [see COUNTERFEIT pa. pple. 1].
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), v. 52. The fyn bawme is more heuy twyes, þan is the bawme þt is sophisticat and counterfeted.
1560. Sum. Certain Reasons, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 477. By continuing of the base monies, divers persons … have counterfaicted.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 267. He lost a Ring of Gold … he conceals the loss, and counterfeits another like it of silver.
1726. Adv. Capt. R. Boyle, 329. She … counterfeited the Letter she gave me as from her Father.
1873. Act 36–7 Vict., c. 86 § 25. Every person who forges or counterfeits any certificate.
† 3. To put a false or deceiving appearance upon; to disguise, falsify. Obs.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, vii. 172. Reynawde … contrefaytted thus his langage, by cause the duke Naymes sholde not knowe hym.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. vi. 44. Men like players counterfeted and disguysed.
1679. G. R., trans. Boyatuau’s Theat. World, I. 36. He counterfeits his voice, so that you would think it some other bird.
1722. De Foe, Moll Fl. (1840), 324. I counterfeited my voice.
4. To put on (with intent to deceive) the appearance or semblance of; to feign, pretend, simulate.
a. with simple obj. (a feeling, quality, etc.).
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. Poems, B. 13. Bot if þay conterfete crafte … As be honest vt-wyth, and in with alle fylþez, Þen ar þay synful.
c. 1534. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden), I. 250. Hee, cownterfitinge great expedition to fighte, slipped away unto his adversaries.
1608. Bp. Hall, Char. Vertues & Vices, II. 76. The Hypocrite … counterfeits a smiling welcome.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., II. v. § 1. To deter men … from counterfeiting a Prophetick Spirit.
1753. Johnson, Adventurer, No. 120, ¶ 6. To counterfeit happiness which they do not feel.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., IV. ii. To counterfeit death.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 327. Signs of increasing prosperity, signs which could neither be counterfeited nor concealed.
† b. with obj. cl. or inf. Obs.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. (1540), 15. Counterfayting that truce was taken for the dayes, and not for the nyghtes.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt., 110 b. False teachers … countrefeiting to preache my gospell.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. iii. 174. Take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, IV. xii. (1647), 189. These Templars were loth King Lewis should come to Ptolemais, though they counterfeited he should be very welcome there.
† c. refl. with inf. or compl. Obs.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, 2. [They] counterfeited themselves to be the servants of Christ.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. x. 218. David to save his life counterfeited himself mad.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, II. v. (1840), 231. Who counterfeited himself to be a devil.
† d. intr. (for refl.) with compl. Obs. rare.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., VI. (1851), 124. The same man of sin counterfeiting protestant. Ibid. (1649), Eikon., i. (1851), 344. The deepest policy of a Tyrant hath bin ever to counterfet Religious.
† 5. To assume the character of (a person, etc.); to pretend to be; to pass oneself off as; to personate. Obs.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 14/449. Bi him þat þou countrefetest.
c. 1325. Poem Times Edw. II., 122, in Pol. Songs (Camden), 329. Thise abbotes and priours … riden wid hauk and hound, and contrefeten knihtes.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 33. He muste counterfeyt a fole in all manere.
1550. Crowley, Inform. & Petit., 483. Tenauntes not able to be lande lordes, and yet, after a sorte, they conterfayte landelordes.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 20 (J.). To counterfeite and personate the second sonne of EDWARD the Fourth, supposed to bee murdered.
6. intr. To feign, make pretence, practise deceit.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1483. I am seke in ernest … Quod Pandarus, Thow shalt the betir pleyne, And hast the lesse nede to contrefete.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., iv. in Ashm. (1652), 48. They will counterfaict to beguile their Brother.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., IV. ii. 122. Are you not mad indeed, or do you but counterfeit?
1685. Cotton, trans. Montaigne (1877), I. 72. In this last scene of death, there is no more counterfeiting.
7. trans. To take, receive or have the appearance of; to ‘imitate,’ be an imitation of, simulate, resemble, be like. (Without implying deceit.)
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 555. More haf we serued … Þen þyse þat wroȝte not hourez two, And þou dotz hem vus to counterfete.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., V. vi. 173. So as it ne may nat contrefeten it … ne ben euene lyke to it.
1592. West, 1st Pt. Symbol., § 32 F, These Contractes … in respect of labor to bee taken … counterfait Location and conduction.
1632. Milton, Il Penseroso, 80. Where glowing embers through the room Teach light to counterfeit a gloom.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 113. A bridge, which, being built on both sides, counterfeiteth a continued street.
1777. Sir W. Jones, Pal. Fortune, Poems 25. A golden ray … taught the gloom to counterfeit the day.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 166. Sleep counterfeited Death so well.
† 8. To imitate, copy: a. To follow the example of (a person). Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1119. Wol ȝe the childishe Ialous contrefete? Ibid. (c. 1386), Nun’s Pr. T., 501. Now syngeth sire … Let se konne ye youre fader countrefete?
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1186. I may not countirfete Scipioun In armes.
1526. Tindale, 1 Cor. iv. 16. I desyre you to counterfayte me.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 222. Counterfeictyng those that doe speake distinctly.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, vii. (1664), 83. They … do apishly counterfeit, and resemble a Poet.
† b. To imitate or follow (conduct, action, manner, fashion). Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 139. She … peyned hire to countrefete cheere Of Court and to been estatlich of manere.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. ii. 100. Ȝe contyrfeyt my reuth and pite eik.
1558. Kennedy, Compend. Tractive, in Wodr. Soc. Misc. (1844), 132. Walde God thair wer als mony contrefatit thair repentance as dois thair vice.
1604. Jas. I., Counterbl. (Arb.), 105. Counterfeiting the maners of others.
† c. To make an imitation or copy of (a thing). Obs. exc. as in 1 b.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 133. Of alle maner craftus I con counterfeten heor tooles.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 50. Som making earth in mould do counterfeite Brickwals.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, II. 32. Every part as artificially counterfeited as they can devise.
1621. Lady M. Wroth, Urania, 519. Her complexion … neuer was for excellency equald, or could be counterfeited.
† d. To make or devise (a thing) in imitation of something else. Obs.
c. 1430. Freemasonry, 22. Thys onest craft of good masonry Wes … y-cownterfetyd of thys clerkys y-fere.
1575. Gascoigne, Pr. Pleas. Kenilw. Who had likewise huge and monstrous Trumpettes counterfetted wherein they seemed to sound.
† 9. To represent by a picture, statue, or the like; to depict, delineate, portray. Also said of the picture, etc. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 99. Cowntyrfetyn, configuro, conformo.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 313. It requireth an Appelles, to have Alexander well counterfaited.
1642. R. Carpenter, Experience, IV. i. 125. The pictures counterfeit men and women.
1660. Bloome (title), The booke of five collumnes of architecture … Drawn and counterfeited after the right Symmetry and cunning measure of Free-Masons.
† b. To represent, portray or reproduce in writing or by literary art. Obs.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 1241. I can not now well counterfete Her wordes, but this was the grete Of her answere.
1530. Palsgr., 17. Suche as writte farcis and contrefait the vulgare speche.
