Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

under-the-counter

 
Dictionary: un·der-the-count·er
(ŭn'dər-THə-koun'tər)
adv. & adj.
Transacted, given, or sold illicitly.


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Business Dictionary: Under the Counter
Top

Illegal payments made for merchandise or services, usually in excess of the stated price. Under-the-counter payments are a form of bribery and extortion.

Idioms: under the counter
Top

Secretly, surreptitiously, as in I'm sure they're selling liquor to minors under the counter. This expression most often alludes to an illegal transaction, the counter being the flat-surfaced furnishing or table over which legal business is conducted. It was first recorded in 1926. Also see under the table.


WordNet: under-the-counter
Top
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adjective has one meaning:

Meaning #1: done or sold illicitly and secretly;


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Business Dictionary. Dictionary of Business Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more