agonist
[ ag-uh-nist ]
/ ˈæg ə nɪst /
|
noun
a person engaged in a contest, conflict, struggle, etc., especially the protagonist in a literary work.
a person who is torn by inner conflict.
Physiology. a contracting muscle whose action is opposed by another muscle.Compare antagonist(def 3).
Pharmacology. a chemical substance capable of activating a receptor to induce a full or partial pharmacological response.Compare antagonist(def 5).
Nearby words
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for agonist
Agonist, ag′o-nist, n. one who contends for a prize in public games.
British Dictionary definitions for agonist
agonist
/ (ˈæɡənɪst) /
noun
any muscle that is opposed in action by another muscleCompare antagonist (def. 2)
a competitor, as in an agon
Word Origin for agonist
C17: from Greek agōn agon
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
Medicine definitions for agonist
agonist
[ ăg′ə-nĭst ]
n.
A contracting muscle that is resisted or counteracted by an antagonistic muscle.
A substance that can combine with a cell receptor to produce a reaction typical for that substance.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for agonist
agonist
[ ăg′ə-nĭst ]
A muscle that actively contracts to produce a desired movement.
A chemical substance, especially a drug, that can combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiologic response. Compare antagonist.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.