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agonist

[ ag-uh-nist ]
/ ˈæg ə nɪst /
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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).
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Origin of agonist

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin agōnista, from Greek agōnistḗs “contestant,” equivalent to agṓn agon + -istēs -ist
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use agonist in a sentence

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

Scientific definitions for agonist

agonist
[ ăgə-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.
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