encounter

Forms

1.To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
- H' incounters Talgol, routs the Bear, / And takes the Fidler Prisoner; / Conveys him to enchanted Castle, / There shuts him fast in wooden Bastile.
2.To confront (someone or something) face to face.
3.To engage in conflict, as with an enemy.
- I will encounter with Andronicus.
- Three armies encountered at Waterloo.
4.To kill or execute someone extrajudicially.

1.A meeting, especially one that is unplanned or unexpected.
- Their encounter was a matter of chance.
- As they have planned the encounters, they mostly have control over the time limits.
2.A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants.
3.A match between two opposing sides.
- Andre Santos equalised and the outstanding Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead for the first time before Juan Mata's spectacular strike set up the finale for an enthralling encounter.
4.A sexual encounter; sexual activity, especially unplanned or unexpected, between two people who have not already established a sexual relationship with each other. In many cases, it does not lead to a relationship, and thus is utterly transient. A sexual encounter can be consensual or non-consensual; in the latter case, it is known as sexual assault. A consensual sexual encounter that happens only once is commonly known as a one-night stand.
- Though Mr. Cosby described the sexual encounter in 2004 as consensual, Ms. Constand said she was too intoxicated to physically or verbally resist.

Uncommon· #2965

From Middle English encountren

From Anglo-Norman encountrer, Old French encontrer (“to confront”)

From encontre (“against, counter to”)

From Late Latin incontrā (“in front of”) itself from Latin in (“in”) + contrā (“against”).