encounter

²encounter

noun

Definition of ENCOUNTER

1

: a meeting between hostile factions or persons : a sudden often violent clash <an encounter between the police and demonstrators>

2

a : a chance meeting <an accidental encounter> b : a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person <a romantic encounter>

3

: a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body <the Martian encounter of a spacecraft>

Examples of ENCOUNTER

1. a chance encounter with a famous writer
2. He's accused of having had sexual encounters with several young women.
3. There was a violent encounter between fans of the opposing teams.
4. It was her first encounter with cigarettes.

First Known Use of ENCOUNTER

14th century

Related to ENCOUNTER

Synonyms: brush, hassle, run-in, scrape, skirmish

Related Words: argument, fight, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tiff; battle, brawl, fray, wrangle

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Rhymes with ENCOUNTER

bean counter, lunch counter, recounter