Forms: COUNTERFEIT; also with endings 5 -ere, 6–7 -or, -our, (-ure). [a. F. contrefaiteur, f. contrefaire to COUNTERFEIT: cf. bienfaiteur benefactor. See -ER2 3.] One who counterfeits: see the verb.
1. One who makes fraudulent imitations (of coins, seals, documents, etc.); a forger; spec. a maker of counterfeit coins, a coiner.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. xvii. (1869), 144. A … counterfetere of seles.
1534. Act 26 Hen. VII., c. 6 § 6. The counterfeiters of any coyne currant within this realme.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1636), 184. Coyne which was corrupted by Counterfeitours.
1697. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 269. The counterfeiters of the exchequer bills.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 60. To baffle the skill of the counterfeiter.
2. One who imitates (a person or an action) with intent to deceive; a pretender, dissembler.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), III. iv. He cannot be a true seruer of God … but … a counterfaiter of Gods seruice.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. 16. Satan is in many thinges a counterfaiter of God.
1575. Fulke, Confut. Doctr. Purg. (1577), 170. That … shamelesse counterfector, that calleth him selfe … Bishop of Ierusalem.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 224. A counterfetter and dissembler.
1611. Cotgr., Cafard, an hypocrite; a counterfeiter of, or dissembler in, religion.
1719. J. Richardson, Art Crit., 185. To know whether a Picture be of … such a Master…: The best Counterfeiter of Hands cannot do it so well as to deceive a good Connoisseur.
3. An imitator (with no sense of deceit).
1526. Tindale, Eph. v. 1. Be ye counterfeters of God.
1548. Hall, Chron., 232 b. No man hathe sene a better counterfaytor or player in any Comedie or Tragedie.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. i. (Arb.), 20. A Poet … is both a maker and a counterfaitor.
1859. Darwin, Orig. Spec., xiv. (1873), 376. The counterfeiters have changed their dress.
