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agon

[ ag-ohn, -on, ah-gohn ]
/ ˈæg oʊn, -ɒn, ɑˈgoʊn /

noun, plural a·go·nes [uh-goh-neez]. /əˈgoʊ niz/.

(in ancient Greece) a contest in which prizes were awarded in any of a number of events, as athletics, drama, music, poetry, and painting.
(italics)Greek. (in ancient Greek drama) a formalized debate or argumentation, especially in comedy: usually following the proagon and preceding the parabasis.
Literature. conflict, especially between the protagonist and the antagonist.

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Origin of agon

First recorded in 1650–60, agon is from the Greek word agṓn struggle, contest

Words nearby agon

agogic, agogics, à gogo, -agogue, agomphosis, agon, agonadal, agonal, agone, gone coon, a, a goner
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for agon

British Dictionary definitions for agon

agon
/ (ˈæɡəʊn, -ɡɒn) /

noun plural agones (əˈɡəʊniːz)

(in ancient Greece) a festival at which competitors contended for prizes. Among the best known were the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian Games

Word Origin for agon

C17: Greek: contest, from agein to lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012