Encounter

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: en=coun=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

Encounter, v. t. [OF. encontrer; pref. en- (L. in) + contre against, L. contra. See Counter, adv.].

 To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth.  [1913 Webster]
"Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him."  [1913 Webster]
"I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you."  [1913 Webster]

Encounter, v. i. 

 To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo.  [1913 Webster]
"I will encounter with Andronicus."  [1913 Webster]
"Perception and judgment, employed in the investigation of all truth, have in the first place to encounter with particulars."  [1913 Webster]

Encounter, n. [OF. encontre, fr. encontrer. See Encounter, v. t.].

•  A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview.  [1913 Webster]

  "To shun the encounter of the vulgar crowd."  [1913 Webster]
•  A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter.  [1913 Webster]

  "As one for . . . fierce encounters fit"  [1913 Webster]

  "To join their dark encounter in mid-air"

Syn. -- Contest; conflict; fight; combat; assault; rencounter; attack; engagement; onset. See Contest.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Encounter, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 meet by chance or unexpectedly.
2 meet as an adversary.
--n.
1 a meeting by chance.
2 a meeting in conflict.
3 participation in an encounter group.

Idiom

encounter group a group of persons seeking psychological benefit through close contact with one another.

Etymology

ME f. OF encontrer, encontre ult. f. L contra against

THESAURUS

Encounter

Olympic games, Olympics, accost, action, advance, affront, alight upon, altercation, approach, appropinquate, approximate, appulse, argument, assail, bang, bang into, battle, be exposed to, be subjected to, bear down on, bear down upon, bear up, blunder upon, bout, brave, breast, bring before, bring forward, bring to bay, bring up, brunt, brush, bulldozing, bulling, bump, bump into, cannon, carambole, carom, carom into, challenge, chance upon, clash, clash with, close, close in, close with, collide, collision, collision course, come, come across, come among, come closer, come forward, come into collision, come near, come on, come up, come up against, come upon, competition, concours, concuss, concussion, conflict, confront, confront each other, confront with, confrontation, contend with, contention, contest, crack up, crack-up, crash, crash into, cross swords with, crump, crunch, dare, dash into, defy, derby, disagreement, discover serendipitously, dispute, draw near, draw nigh, duel, endure, engage, engagement, envisage, experience, face, face with, fall across, fall among, fall foul of, fall in with, fall upon, feel, fight, fight hand-to-hand, foul, fray, front, gain upon, game, games, go, go through, grapple with, gymkhana, hammering, happen upon, have, hit, hit against, hit upon, hurt, hurtle, impact, impinge, impingement, join, joining, joust, knock, knock against, know, labor under, lay before, light upon, match, matching, mauling, meet, meet head-on, meet squarely, meet up with, meet with, meeting, narrow squeak, narrow the gap, near, near thing, near-miss, onslaught, pass through, pay, percuss, percussion, pitch upon, place before, present to, proximate, put it to, quarrel, rally, ramming, rencontre, run, run across, run into, run smack into, run up against, run upon, run-in, scrap, set before, set-to, shock, sideswipe, sidle up to, skirmish, slam into, sledgehammering, smack into, smash, smash into, smash up, smash-up, smashing, spend, stand under, stem, step up, strike, strike against, struggle, stumble on, stumble upon, suffer, sustain, take on, taste, test, thrusting, tilt, tournament, tourney, trial, tumble on, turn up, undergo, war, whomp, wrestle with

ROGET THESAURUS

Encounter

Opposition

VB oppose, counteract, run counter to, withstand, control, hinder, antagonize, oppugn, fly in the face of, go dead against, kick against, fall afoul of, run afoul of, set against, pit against, face, confront, cope with, make a stand, make a dead set against, set oneself against, set one's face against, protest against, vote against, raise one's voice against, disfavor, turn one's back upon, set at naught, slap in the face, slam the door in one's face, be at cross purposes, play at cross purposes, counterwork, countermine, thwart, overthwart, work against, undermine, stem, breast, encounter, stem the tide, breast the tide, stem the current, stem the flood, buffet the waves, beat up against, make head against, grapple with, kick against the pricks, contend, do battle with, do battle against, contradict, contravene, belie, go against, run against, beat against, militate against, come in conflict with, emulate, rival, spoil one's trade.

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.

VB contend, contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle, spar, square, exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs, fib, justle, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence, skirmish, pickeer, fight, wrangle, contend with, grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush, with, tilt with, encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw, run a tilt at, oppose, reluct, join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand, take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet, enter the lists, couch one's lance, give satisfaction, appeal to arms, lay about one, break the peace, compete with, cope with, vie with, race with, outvie, emulate, rival, run a race, contend for, stipulate for, stickle for, insist upon, make a point of.

Eventuality

VB happen, occur, take place, take effect, come, become of, come off, comeabout, come round, come into existence, come forth, come to pass, come on, pass, present itself, fall, fall out, turn out, run, be on foot, fall in, befall, betide, bechance, prove, eventuate, draw on, turn up, crop up, spring up, pop up, arise, show up, show its face, appear, come forth, cast up, supervene, survene, issue, arrive, ensue, arise, start, hold, take its course, pass off, meet with, experience, enjoy, encounter, undergo, suffer, pass through, go through, be subjected to, be exposed to, fall to the lot of, be one's chance, be one's fortune, be one's lot, find, endure.

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

VB flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.

Arrival

N arrival, advent, landing, debarkation, disembarkation, reception, welcome, vin d'honneur, home, goal, goalpost, landing place, landing stage, bunder, resting place, destination, harbor, haven, port, airport, spaceport, terminus, halting place, halting ground, landing strip, runway, terminal, journey's end, anchorage, return, remigration, meeting, rencounter, encounter, completion, recursion, arriving, homeward bound, here, hither, Int, welcome!, hail!, all Hail!, good-day, good morrow!, any port in a storm.

VB arrive, get to, come to, come, reach, attain, come up with, come up to, overtake, make, fetch, complete, join, rejoin, light, alight, dismount, land, go ashore, debark, disembark, put in, put into, visit, cast anchor, pitch one's tent, sit down, get to one's journey's end, make the land, be in at the death, come back, get back, come home, get home, return, come in, make one's appearance, drop in, detrain, deplane, outspan, de-orbit, come to hand, come at, come across, hit, come upon, light upon, pop upon, bounce upon, plump upon, burst upon, pitch upon, meet, encounter, rencounter, come in contact.