a long flat surface over which goods are sold or business is done in a shop, bank, etc. （商店、银行等的）柜台 - behind the counter
I asked the woman behind the counter if they had any postcards. 我问柜台后面的女售货员是否有明信片。
Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppingb2He pushed the money across the counter to her. 他把钱从柜枱上推过去给她。 He works at the meat counter. 他在肉类柜枱工作。 Mary served behind the counter at Bacon's for a few hours a week. 玛丽每周在培根酒吧当几个小时的吧台服务员。 She handed me my coffee over the counter. 她把我的咖啡从柜枱上方递给我。 The assistant behind the counter gave a curt nod. 柜枱后的售货员匆匆地点了下头。 The barman wiped down the counter in silence. 酒吧招待默不作声地把柜台擦干净了。 There was a line of people waiting at the checkout counter. 收款台前有一队等候结账的人。 They sat on high stools at the bar counter. 他们坐在吧台旁的高凳上。 all the goods on the counter 柜枱出售的所有商品 an airline check-in counter 航空公司办理登机手续的柜枱 post office counter staff 邮局柜枱工作人员
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- checkout
- post office
- shop
- …
- serve at
- serve behind
- work at
- …
- top
- staff
- across a/the counter
- at a/the counter
- behind a/the counter
- …
- behind the counter
- (also countertop)(both North American English)(British English worktop, work surface)
a flat surface in a kitchen for preparing food on （厨房的）操作台 
She put her bags down on the kitchen counter. 她把袋子都放在厨房的操作台上。 The kitchen had black marble counter tops. 厨房是黑色的花岗岩台面。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- checkout
- post office
- shop
- …
- serve at
- serve behind
- work at
- …
- top
- staff
- across a/the counter
- at a/the counter
- behind a/the counter
- …
a small disc used for playing or scoring in some board games （某些棋盘游戏的）筹码，棋子 (especially in compounds 尤用于构成复合词 an electronic device for counting something （电子）计数器，计算器 
a person who counts something, for example votes in an election 清点某物的人，例如在选举中投票的人 You can get computers to help the counters to count the votes. 你可以让电脑帮助柜台清点选票。
- [usually singular] counter (to somebody/something) (formal)
a response to somebody/something that opposes their ideas, position, etc. （对意见、态度等的）反对，反驳 Extra ExamplesThe government's programme should be an effective counter to unemployment. 政府的计划应该有效遏制失业。 an effective counter to the blandness of modern culture 对缺乏生气的现代文化的有效反击
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- effective
- counter to
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 4 Middle English (in sense (3)): from Old French conteor, from medieval Latin computatorium, from Latin computare ‘calculate’, from com- ‘together’ + putare ‘to settle (an account)’. noun sense 5 late Middle English: from Old French contre, from Latin contra ‘against’, or directly from counter-.
Idioms
over the counter
goods, especially medicines, for sale over the counter can be bought without a prescription (= written permission from a doctor to buy a medicine) or special licence （尤指购药）不凭处方 These tablets are available over the counter. 这些药片不用处方就可买到。 This kind of medication cannot be bought over the counter. 这种药需凭处方购买。
under the counter
goods that are bought or sold under the counter are sold secretly and sometimes illegally （商品销售）秘密地，暗地里，非法地 Pornography may be legally banned but it is still available under the counter. 色情可能会被法律禁止，但它仍然可以在柜台下买到。