Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COUN-TER-MAND', v.t. [Fr. contremander; contre and mander, L. mando, to command.]

1. To revoke a former command; or to give an order contrary to one before given, which annuls a former command and forbids its execution; as, to countermand orders.
2. To oppose; to contradict the orders of another. – Hooker.
3. To prohibit. [Little used.] – Harvey.