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| en·coun·ter [ in kówntər, en kówntər ] |
transitive verb (past and past participle en·coun·tered, present participle en·coun·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular en·coun·ters) |
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| Definition: |
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1. come up against something: to be faced with something difficult to deal with
 We don't expect to encounter any major problems.
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2. meet somebody unexpectedly: to meet somebody or something, usually unexpectedly and briefly
 I encountered the girl for the first time in 1993.
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3. meet somebody in conflict: to confront somebody with hostility or aggression
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noun (plural en·coun·ters) |
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| Definition: |
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1. unexpected meeting: a meeting with somebody or something, usually unexpected and brief
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2. confrontation: a hostile confrontation or difficult struggle
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| [13th century. < Old French encontrer "confront" < late Latin incontra "in front of" < Latin in- "in" + contra "against"] |