n.
Pronunciation: ' a-g ə -nist
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin agonista competitor, from Greek ag ō nist ē s, from ag ō nizesthai to contend, from ag ō n
Date: circa 1623
1 : one that is engaged in a struggle
2 [from antagonist ] a : a muscle that is controlled by the action of an antagonist with which it is paired b : a chemical substance capable of combining with a specific receptor on a cell and initiating the same reaction or activity typically produced by the binding endogenous substance <dopaminergic agonist s > ― compare ANTAGONIST 2b