The Collaborative International Dictionary
Countermarch \Coun`ter*march"\ (koun`t?r-m?rch"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Countermarched (-m?rcht"); p. pr. & vb. n. Countermarching.] (Mil.) To march back, or to march in reversed order.
The two armies marched and countermarched, drew near
and receded.
--Macaulay.
Countermarch \Coun"ter*march`\ (koun"t?r-m?rch`), n.
A marching back; retrocession.
(Mil.) An evolution by which a body of troops change front or reverse the direction of march while retaining the same men in the front rank; also, a movement by which the rear rank becomes the front one, either with or without changing the right to the left.
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A change of measures; alteration of conduct.
Such countermarches and retractions as we do not willingly impute to wisdom.
--T. Burnet.
Wiktionary
n. A march back along the same route vb. To march back along the same route
WordNet
n. (military) a march in the reverse direction or back along the same route
v. march back along the same way
change the order of soldiers during a march
Usage examples of "countermarch".
This little stream fed the Porcupine, which in turn joined the Yukon where that mighty highway of the North countermarches on the Arctic Circle.
You should know that, Planchet, you who commanded the Parisians the day on which they ought to have fought against the musketeers, and who so well calculated marches and countermarches, that you never left the Palais Royal.
Faster, too—Brigade troops would have stopped and countermarched to get into position.
They made their own way out the main doors, as the Guards countermarched back to the walls and settled into position again.
Faster, too — Brigade troops would have stopped and countermarched to get into position.
Green and silver, they marched and countermarched, going through exercises which had long lost all meaning, learning lessons for a war which could never be fought.
One company at a time advanced, wheeled, and countermarched while the remaining troops stood ready in case the admiral's men attempted something.
But as soon as he found that the account of numbers was exaggerated, and that the enemy declined an engagement, he divided his corps into several small parties, publishing intelligence that each was on patrol, and that the main body of the King's troops had countermarched to Camden.
Then he marched and countermarched the zombie and skeleton army across the grove of the Great Druid, trampling everything to mud.
Cofflin watched with interest as a column of about thirty countermarched, each pair's spears crossing in an X as they turned.
Shortly the combined AnkhMorpork regimental bands will put on a display of countermarching while playing a selection of military favourites.
He had a vision of “armies of Negroes marching and countermarching in the air, shining in armor.
He had a vision of "armies of Negroes marching and countermarching in the air, shining in armor.
Often, on lazy afternoons in the mountains, I have lain on the ground with my face under a sage-bush, and entertained myself with fancying that the gnats among its foliage were liliputian birds, and that the ants marching and countermarching about its base were liliputian flocks and herds, and myself some vast loafer from Brobdignag waiting to catch a little citizen and eat him.
They repeated themselves in a dozen different languages, word by word and letter by letter, wheeling and countermarching and forming fours in an infinite variety of restless patterns with all the aimless efficiency of a demonstration platoon of trained soldiersand with precisely as much intelligence.