| / English Dictionary |
AGENT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The semantic role of the animate entity that instigates or causes the happening denoted by the verb in the clause
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
participant role; semantic role ((linguistics) the underlying relation that a constituent has with the main verb in a clause)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
Example:
their research uncovered new disease agents
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
causal agency; causal agent; cause (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):
weakener (that which weakens or causes a loss of strength)
transmitter; vector (any agent (person or animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease)
teratogen (any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development: alcohol or thalidomide or X-rays or rubella are examples)
stressor (any agent that causes stress to an organism)
shortener (any agent that shortens)
satisfier (any agent capable of producing satisfaction)
retardant; retardation; retardent (any agent that retards or delays or hinders)
represser; repressor (an agent that represses)
relaxer (any agent that produces relaxation)
pressor; vasoconstrictive; vasoconstrictor (any agent that causes a narrowing of an opening of a blood vessel: cold or stress or nicotine or epinephrine or norepinephrine or angiotensin or vasopressin or certain drugs; maintains or increases blood pressure)
biohazard; biological agent (any bacterium or virus or toxin that could be used in biological warfare)
eliminator (an agent that eliminates something)
impairer (an agent that impairs)
infectious agent; infective agent (an agent capable of producing infection)
lethal agent (an agent capable of causing death)
motor (a nonspecific agent that imparts motion)
mutagen (any agent (physical or environmental) that can induce a genetic mutation or can increase the rate of mutation)
enlivener; invigorator; quickener (an agent that gives or restores life or vigor)
Derivation:
agency (the state of being in action or exerting power)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
bourgeois; businessperson (a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):
travel agent (someone who sells or arranges trips or tours for customers)
auctioneer (an agent who conducts an auction)
general agent; insurance agent; insurance broker; underwriter (an agent who sells insurance)
investment banker; underwriter (a banker who deals chiefly in underwriting new securities)
estate agent; house agent; land agent; real estate agent; real estate broker (a person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of land)
ship broker (an agent for the ship owner; obtains cargo and may arrange for its loading or discharge)
stockbroker (an agent in the buying and selling of stocks and bonds)
syndic (one appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactions)
Holonyms ("agent" is a member of...):
brokerage; brokerage firm; securities firm (a stock broker's business; charges a fee to act as intermediary between buyer and seller)
Derivation:
agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
representative (a person who represents others)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):
general agent; universal agent (someone authorized to transact every kind of business for the principal)
talent agent (an agent who represents performers)
special agent (someone whose authority is limited to the special undertaking they have been instructed to perform)
shopper (a commercial agent who shops at the competitor's store in order to compare their prices and merchandise with those of the store that employs her)
shipping agent (the agent of a shipowner)
intelligence agent; intelligence officer; operative; secret agent (a person secretly employed in espionage for a government)
purchasing agent (an agent who purchases goods or services for another)
placeholder; procurator; proxy (a person authorized to act for another)
parliamentary agent (a person who is employed to look after the affairs of businesses that are affected by legislation of the British Parliament)
next friend ((law) a person who acts on behalf of an infant or disabled person)
mill agent (the responsible official at a mill that is under absentee ownership)
handler (an agent who handles something or someone)
government agent (a representative or official of a government or administrative department of a government)
freight agent (an employee of a freight carrier who directs the receipt and delivery of goods)
employment agent (someone who runs an employment agency)
deputy; surrogate (a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others)
booker; booking agent (someone who engages a person or company for performances)
bailee (the agent to whom property involved in a bailment is delivered)
literary agent (an agent who represents an author in dealings with publishers)
business agent (an agent who handles business affairs for another; especially one who deals with employers)
Derivation:
agency (the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent)
agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau
Synonyms:
agent; federal agent
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
functionary; official (a worker who holds or is invested with an office)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):
trustbuster (a federal agent who engages in trust busting)
Fed; Federal; federal official (any federal law-enforcement officer)
Indian agent (a representative of the federal government to American Indian tribes (especially on Indian reservations))
Derivation:
agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)
Sense 6
Meaning:
A substance that exerts some force or effect
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):
causal agency; causal agent; cause (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)
substance (a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):
viricide; virucide (an agent (physical or chemical) that inactivates or destroys viruses)
solvating agent (an agent that converts something into a solvate)
precipitant (an agent that causes a precipitate to form)
nerve agent; nerve gas (a toxic gas that is inhaled or absorbed through the skin and has harmful effects on the nervous and respiratory system)
mitogen (an agent that triggers mitosis)
lactogen (any agent that enhances milk production)
lactifuge (any agent that reduces milk secretion (as given to a woman who is not breast feeding))
inducer (an agent capable of activating specific genes)
hypoglycaemic agent; hypoglycemic agent (any of various agents that decrease the level of glucose in the blood and are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus)
hypnagogue (an agent that induces drowsiness or sleep)
galactagogue (agent that induces milk secretion)
emmenagogue (any agent that promotes menstrual discharge)
diluent; dilutant; thinner (a diluting agent)
coolant (a fluid agent (gas or liquid) that produces cooling; especially one used to cool a system by transferring heat away from one part to another)
coagulant; coagulator (an agent that produces coagulation)
chemical agent (an agent that produces chemical reactions)
blanching agent; bleach; bleaching agent; whitener (an agent that makes things white or colorless)
bacteriostat (a chemical or biological material that inhibits bacterial growth)
alkaliser; alkalizer; antacid; antiacid; gastric antacid (an agent that counteracts or neutralizes acidity (especially in the stomach))
vermicide (an agent that kills worms (especially those in the intestines))
drug (a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic)
antimicrobial; antimicrobic; disinfectant; germicide (an agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease)
antifungal; antifungal agent; antimycotic; antimycotic agent; fungicide (any agent that destroys or prevents the growth of fungi)
antiflatulent (any agent that reduces intestinal gas)
Context examples:
An artifact that results when an imaging agent is not absorbed or metabolized at the expected rate.
(Abnormal Uptake Kinetics, NCI Thesaurus)
A sterile hemostatic agent composed of purified porcine-derived gelatin.
(Absorbable Gelatin Sponge, NCI Thesaurus)
A niacin derivative and nicotinic acid analog with activity as a hypolipidemic agent.
(Acipimox, NCI Thesaurus)
An orally-active metabolite of the synthetic aromatic retinoic acid agent etretinate with potential antineoplastic, chemopreventive, anti-psoratic, and embryotoxic properties.
(Acitretin, NCI Thesaurus)
Aclarubicin is antagonistic to other agents that inhibit topoisomerase II, such as etoposide, teniposide and amsacrine.
(Aclarubicin, NCI Thesaurus)
This agent also reduces disulfide bonds in mucoproteins, resulting in liquification of mucus.
(Acetylcysteine, NCI Thesaurus)
In addition, Acetyl Coenzyme A acts as a biological acetylating agent.
(Acetyl Coenzyme A, NCI Thesaurus)
This agent also disrupts tumor neovascularization, reducing tumor blood flow and so inducing a cytotoxic effect.
(ABT-751, NCI Thesaurus)
It is a type of antiasthmatic agent and a leukotriene receptor antagonist.
(Accolate, NCI Dictionary)
Other indications include hypertension, alone or in combinations with other agents.
(Acebutolol, NCI Thesaurus)
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