over the counter: Meaning and Definition of

o'ver the count'er

1. not transacted through an organized securities exchange; directly to the buyer or from the seller: He sold his stocks over the counter.
2. without a doctor's prescription but within the law.

o•ver-the-count•er

1. unlisted on or not part of an organized securities exchange:OTC over-the-counter stocks; the over-the-counter market. Abbr.:
2. sold legally without a doctor's prescription:Abbr.: OTC over-the-counter drugs.