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Countermand   Listen
Countermand

verb
(past & past part. countermanded; pres. part. countermanding)
1.
Cancel officially.  Synonyms: annul, lift, overturn, repeal, rescind, reverse, revoke, vacate.  "Lift an embargo" , "Vacate a death sentence"






WordNet 3.0 © 2010 Princeton University








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"Countermand" Quotes from Famous Books



... were confessing a failing, was the custom of the house. But, he added, I should find a fire in my sitting-room, so that if I wanted to read or write, I should be comfortable in my retirement. On hearing that, I begged him to countermand any such luxuries on my account in future; it was my invariable habit, I assured him, to retire to bed at ten o'clock, wherever I was—reading or writing at night, I said, were practices which I rigidly tabooed. Mr. Cazalette, who stood by, ...
— Ravensdene Court • J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher

... the 1st of September, before this popular agitation, had issued writs for an election of an assembly to meet at Salem in October; seeing, however, the irritated state of the public mind, he now countermanded the same by proclamation. The people, disregarding the countermand, carried the election, and ninety of the new members thus elected met at the appointed time. They waited a whole day for the governor to attend, administer the oaths, and open the session; but as he did not make his appearance, they voted themselves a provincial Congress, and chose for president ...
— The Life of George Washington, Volume I • Washington Irving

... chose to be born at half-past nine P. M.; so that, by the time its toilet was finished, bonnet and cloak all properly adjusted, the watchman was calling "Past eleven, and a cloudy night;" upon which, most reluctantly, she was obliged to countermand the orders for that day's exercise, and considered herself, like the Emperor Titus, to have lost a day. But what came of the London lady's or of Mrs. Schreiber's Spartan discipline? Did the little ...
— Memorials and Other Papers • Thomas de Quincey

... your power: Why did heaven make a fool a conqueror! She was my slave, 'till she by me was shewn How weak my force was, and how strong her own. Now she has beat my power from every part, Made her way open to my naked heart: [To a Soldier. Go, strictly charge my soldiers to retreat: Those countermand who are not entered yet. On peril of your lives leave all things free. [Exit Soldier. Now, madam, love Abdalla more than me. I only ask, in duty you would bring The keys of our Albayzyn to the king: ...
— The Works Of John Dryden, Volume 4 (of 18) - Almanzor And Almahide, Marriage-a-la-Mode, The Assignation • John Dryden

... of ammunition, were dealt out to each, and in light marching order they waited several days for the steamer to appear. It was in vain, however, and we reluctantly gave up the prospect of some little excitement. We came to the conclusion that somebody at headquarters had forgotten to countermand the order, or, like Mr. Toots, had ...
— Reminiscences of two years with the colored troops • Joshua M. Addeman

... fellow's cap, and beat it about his ears. He swore he would pursue him to the gates of hell, and ordered a post-chaise and four to be got ready as soon as possible; but, recollecting that his finances would not admit of this way of travelling, he was obliged to countermand this order. ...
— The Expedition of Humphry Clinker • Tobias Smollett

... these soldiers arrive, halted, but at the moment when he was going to challenge them with a qui-vive, the Adjutant-Major seized his arm, and, in his capacity as the officer empowered to countermand all instructions, ordered him to give free passage to the 42d, and at the same time commanded the amazed porter to open the door. The door turned upon its hinges, the soldiers spread themselves through the avenue. Persigny entered and said, "It ...
— The History of a Crime - The Testimony of an Eye-Witness • Victor Hugo

... other, Abraham shew'd a Hero-like Faith and Courage, and if the Devil had been the Author of it, he had seen himself disappointed in both his Views; (1.) by Abraham's ready and bold Compliance, as believing it to be GOD's Command; and (2.) by the divine Countermand of the Execution, just as the fatal Knife was ...
— The History of the Devil - As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts • Daniel Defoe

... perspectivas, prospects piezas de repuesto, spare pieces (machinery) puros, cigarros, tabacos, cigars quinta, villa rastrillos, harrows rechazar, to reject reja, ploughshare revocar, contramandar, to countermand *tener cuenta, to pay, viz., to be advantageous terreno, land ...
— Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.) • C. A. Toledano

... been all ears, said: "You, then, were that soldier?" "I was, indeed," replied the old wanderer. "And I was that child!" said the landlord, "and your life is saved. My sons stand at the threshold of the inn, ready to fall upon you when you leave. I countermand the order for your destruction. Here you shall stay, an honoured guest, till the end of your days, as a recompense for saving my life on that ...
— Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland • Daniel Turner Holmes

... your footman step to my mantua-maker; I am sure it is a miracle, in my present distracted condition, how it came into my head." The footman was presently summoned, and Mrs. James delivered him his message, which was to countermand the orders which she had given that very morning to make her up a new suit of brocade. "Heaven knows," says she, "now when I can wear brocade, or whether ever I shall wear it." And now, having repeated her message with ...
— Amelia (Complete) • Henry Fielding

... Ben couldn't seem to understand what had happened. He went around in a kind of a daze. But he had sense enough left to stop work on the Manor, countermand orders for materials, and pull out with what he could. It wasn't such a great pile. There was a construction shed on the property, fairly well built, and by running up a chimney and having a well sunk, he had what passed for a home. There in the builder's shack Private Ben ...
— Torchy As A Pa • Sewell Ford

... did I countermand the order when your life had been attempted once? Why, as soon as Rewa Gunga had seen you, did I order you to be aided ...
— King—of the Khyber Rifles • Talbot Mundy

... those only belonging to the ship's company. I told Asaph Khan, that we could not endure this slavery, nor would I stay longer in the country, as the prince gave us one day a phirmaund for our good usage, with a grant of privileges, and countermand all the next by contradictory orders, in which proceedings there was neither honour nor good faith, and I could not answer for my continuing to reside among them. Asaph Khan said, he would speak to the king at ...
— A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume IX. • Robert Kerr

... him shortly afterwards at his club, "you have this doubtful consolation, that 'tis not in mortals to countermand success." ...
— The Chronicles of Clovis • Saki

... thousand francs in gold, with which he purchased a sight draft on the capital. Soon after he called a second time on the broker, and exhibiting a letter of orders, bearing a regular post-mark, from his principals, who were alleged to be oil merchants at Marseilles, desired to countermand the transaction, and receive back his gold for the bill of exchange which he tendered. The principal partner of the brokers did not happen to be within at the moment, and the junior declined complying till his return. En attendant, ...
— Captain Canot - or, Twenty Years of an African Slaver • Brantz Mayer

... will countermand the orders for it. That is the way I feel. We three will dine alone, you and ...
— The Nabob, Vol. 2 (of 2) • Alphonse Daudet

... the sacrifice. It does not present even a seeming inconsistency between his secret will and his command, but between two portions of his revealed will. This seeming inconsistency between the command of God and his countermand, in relation to the same external action, has been fully removed by Leibnitz; and if it had not been, it is just as incumbent on the abettors of Edwards's scheme to explain it, as it is upon his opponents. If God had commanded ...
— A Theodicy, or, Vindication of the Divine Glory • Albert Taylor Bledsoe

... I drily; "but if I undertake the matter at all, I will undertake it single-handed. Meanwhile, it is so well worth consideration that I will countermand my orders for overhauling the rigging; so, if you have nothing more to tell me at present, Hoard, just ask the mate to step below, ...
— The Log of a Privateersman • Harry Collingwood

... puny handful—were to be sacrificed under the haunches of the Hindenburg line while all those thousands of others who should have been their companions upon this adventure bided safely behind, held back by the countermand which through some hideous blunder had failed to reach them in time. But they went on. Orders were to go on—and order, plus discipline, plus the individual's sense of responsibility, plus that fear of his that his mates may know how fearful of other ...
— From Place to Place • Irvin S. Cobb

... pins, wrinkled-faced women with fortune-telling parrots, and silly young things prancing up and down, bent on mischief. Something about human beings bored him; he regretted exceedingly that he was one himself; and at the same tune he wished he might countermand the florist's order. He took a taxi home and wondered what apology he should make for being late. He had forgotten that ...
— The Gorgeous Girl • Nalbro Bartley

... position less than one half mile from the enemy's fortified position, driving back his pickets at the dawn of day through the dense timber on each side of the road. About 9 A.M. a mounted orderly from McClellan came galloping from camp carrying a message for Rosecrans, said to be a countermand of former orders, and requiring him to halt until another and better plan of movement could be made. The messenger was, as he stoutly insisted, directed to overtake Rosecrans by pursuing a route to the enemy's right, whereas Rosecrans had ...
— Slavery and Four Years of War, Vol. 1-2 • Joseph Warren Keifer

... speaks truly," I said firmly yet with courtesy, having no mind to spoil adventure by urging rights. "He had orders to take these rooms for me, and I know not what higher power can countermand me." ...
— The Moon Endureth—Tales and Fancies • John Buchan

... will the captive pioners [139] of Argier Cut off the water that by leaden pipes Runs to the city from the mountain Carnon; Two thousand horse shall forage up and down, That no relief or succour come by land; And all the sea my galleys countermand: Then shall our footmen lie within the trench, And with their cannons, mouth'd like Orcus' gulf, Batter the walls, and we will enter in; And thus the Grecians shall ...
— Tamburlaine the Great, Part I. • Christopher Marlowe

... the regency of the empress existed, he no longer represented the government. The two generals met, and, after a somewhat lively discussion, Ducrot was forced to acknowledge the authority of the minister. Wimpffen then assumed command. His first act was to countermand the order to retreat on Mezieres, and to direct the troops to reassume the positions they had occupied when MacMahon had been wounded. This order was carried out as far ...
— Germany from the Earliest Period Vol. 4 • Wolfgang Menzel, Trans. Mrs. George Horrocks

... 35th Regiment, who was now in command, of the total inadequacy of the garrison to defend itself, should a serious attack be made from Ticonderoga; and of the great value to him of the corps under Captain Walsham, which was now thoroughly trained in forest fighting, induced him to countermand ...
— With Wolfe in Canada - The Winning of a Continent • G. A. Henty

... detach, at least, one regiment on this service, and to select for the command of it, an officer on whose prudence, resolution, and integrity, he could rely. The transactions respecting the sloop Liberty rendered any attempt to produce a countermand of these orders entirely abortive; and, probably occasioned two regiments, instead of one, to ...
— The Life of George Washington, Vol. 1 (of 5) • John Marshall

... cabled such requests to the government at Washington, to which it replied by refusing to recall General Lee under the present circumstances, or to countermand the orders for the despatch of war-vessels, making the representation that relief vessels ...
— The Boys of '98 • James Otis

... impossible to perform the duties with which he had been entrusted, and therefore, when Lord John Russell wrote to him, he deprecated the measure in contemplation; and he rejoices sincerely that your Majesty has been most graciously pleased to countermand the order for the ...
— The Letters of Queen Victoria, Vol 2 (of 3), 1844-1853 • Queen Victoria

... maids of honour sent to countermand their birth-day clothes; two of them burnt all their collections of novels and romances, and sent to a bookseller's in Pall-Mall to buy each of them a Bible, and Taylor's "Holy Living and Dying." But I must do all of them the justice to acknowledge, that they shewed ...
— The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D. D., Volume IV: - Swift's Writings on Religion and the Church, Volume II • Jonathan Swift

... his rage he forgot all the restraints of etiquette. He seized from the fireplace the tongs, and would have broken the head of the minister had not Madame de Maintenon rushed between them. The king ordered a messenger immediately to be dispatched to countermand the order. He declared that if a single house were burned, the head of the minister should be the forfeit. ...
— Louis XIV., Makers of History Series • John S. C. Abbott



Words linked to "Countermand" :   cancel, revoke, renege, strike down, bidding, renege on, renegue on, annul, command, dictation, bid, go back on



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