▪ I. rencounter, n.
(rɛnˈkaʊntə(r))
Also 6 renconter, -countre, 7 rancounter, -tre.
[ad. F. rencontre: see prec. and cf. re-encounter n.]
1. An encounter or engagement between two opposing forces; a battle, skirmish, conflict.
| 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. lxxxiv. 106 At the first rencounter many were ouerthrowen. 1562 J. Shute tr. Cambini's Turk. Wars 56 Amorathe and Aladino..in the rencountre that they had with Selim [etc.]. 1588 Allen Admon. 59 Recounte all the..rencounters of a very fewe Catholikes against the heretikes and rebelles in Flanders. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 419 Tartars are not..so manly as the Polonians, who counter-blow them at rancounters. 1682 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) I. 169 There lately happened a rancounter between some forces of the French..and some Spaniards. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 28 ¶8 There are mentioned several Rencounters between..Detachments of the Swedish and Russian Armies. 1781 Jefferson Corr. Wks. 1859 I. 288 Three little rencounters have happened with the enemy. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xxi. iv. (1872) X. 36 The Russian Armies had only to show themselves to beat the Turks in every rencounter. |
b. A hostile meeting or encounter between two adversaries; a duel; † sometimes spec. (after French usage) distinguished from a regular duel by being unpremeditated. Also without article.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. i. 9 He gan to feare His toward perill,..Which by that new rencounter he should reare. 1676 D'Urfey Mme. Fickle ii. i, Pox on't, a Rencounter is nothing when thou art us'd to't. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 39 ¶7 A Rencounter or Duel was..far from being in Fashion among the Officers that serv'd in the Parliament-Army. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) II. i. i. 3 Duelling is often deemed a rencounter, and as such is pardoned. 1816 Scott Antiq. xx, We will dine together and arrange matters for this rencounter. I hope you understand the use of the weapon. 1838 Prescott Ferd. & Is. (1846) I. viii. 359 The latter were wont to repair to Granada to settle their affairs of honour, by personal rencounter. |
| transf. 1652 Needham tr. Selden's Mare Cl. Ep. Ded., Our late Wars, wherein the Pen Militant hath had as many sharp rancounters as the Sword. 1665 D. Lloyd State Worthies (1766) II. 528 There had been before some rancounters or pen combats betwixt him and Dr. Heylin. 1681 Hickeringill Def. Fullwood's Leges Angliæ 16 Now for the Rancounter, as thy war-like word is. |
c. An encounter or contest of any kind; in early use, esp. a contest in wit or argument.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 386 The Sycilians..are full of witty sentences, and pleasant in their rancounters. 1660 Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. i. ii. rule 3 §10 The witty rencounters of disputing men. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. I. 166 If so I should, as often it happens in such Rencounters, not onely draw Mr. Bayes, but J. O. too upon my back. 1755 J. Shebbeare Lydia (1769) I. 47 We have a right to lard our history with rencounters and conquests of these voracious animals. 1830 N. S. Wheaton Jrnl. 69 Few quarrels and rencounters happened among the boys. 1880 Meredith Tragic Com. (1881) 6 That unequal rencounter between foolish innocence and the predatory. |
| fig. 1785 F. Burney Let. 17 Dec., My next business..was to be presented [to the king]..I had only to prepare myself for the rencounter. |
† d. Antithesis. Obs. rare—1.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xix. (Arb.) 219 Ye haue another figure..which..we may call the encounter [marg., Antitheton, or the renconter]. |
† 2. The fact of meeting or falling in with something unpleasant; an unpleasant experience. Obs.
| 1609 Bible (Douay) 1 Kings v. 4 But now our Lord my God hath geven me rest rownd about: there is no satan, nor il rencounter. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii. 62 The Turkes..were mindfull to giue vs the new rancounter of a second alarum. 1682 Sir T. Browne Chr. Mor. iii. §23 Our hard entrance into the World, our miserable going out of it, our..sad Rencounters in it. |
3. A chance meeting of two persons, or of a person with a thing. Also transf. (quot. 1685).
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 488 My formalists durst neuer attempt..any passing countenance in our rancounters. 1685 Crowne Sir C. Nice iii. 30 My eyes and the picture had never any rencounter since. 1728 Morgan Algiers II. v. 314 Millions of People dread the Rencounter of an Algerine as they would that of a crew of Dæmons. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. xvi, I was so well pleas'd with this rencounter..that I forgot my resentment. 1794 Godwin Cal. Williams 46 At sight of Mr. Tyrrel in this unexpected rencounter, his face reddened with indignation. 1816 Scott Old Mort. iv, The casual rencounter had the appearance of a providential interference. 1876 T. Hardy Ethelberta (1890) 408 Perhaps at this remote season the embarrassment of a rencounter would not have been intense. |
b. A meeting of two things or bodies; an impact, collision. Also without article, and transf. Now rare or Obs.
| 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ iii. i. §8 By their frequent rancounters and justlings one upon another, they at last link themselves together. 1691–8 Norris Pract. Disc. (1711) III. 38 In the various Rencounter of Bodies knocking and jostling one against another. 1704 Swift T. Tub xi, My nose and this very Post should have a Rencounter. 1723 Chambers tr. Le Clerc's Treat. Archit. I. 67 Projecting Bodies, just at its own height..seem to menace the Eye with a Rencounter. 1779 Mann in Phil. Trans. LXIX. 619 When two equal currents of homogeneous fluids meet in opposite directions, there is first a swelling and rising up of them at the point of rencounter. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. I. 92 In this theory, Doctor Hutton wisely steers clear of a rencounter with the sun. |
† 4. (Also vessel of rencounter.) A retort. Obs.
| 1694 Salmon Bate's Dispens. (1713) 180/1 Cover the Cucurbit with a Vessel of Rencounter, luting it well. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Age, Fit a Rencounter to the long Neck, lute the Junctures very close. |
▪ II. rencounter, v. Now rare.
(rɛnˈkaʊntə(r))
Also 6–8 rancounter.
[ad. F. rencontrer: cf. prec. and re-encounter v.]
1. trans. To meet or encounter (an army, person, etc.) in hostile fashion; to engage (one) in fight.
| 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 34 Preamble, With the Kinges hooste roiall..they were rencountered, vaynquesshed, dispersed. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 39 But th' Elfin knight,..him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray. 1620–55 I. Jones Stone-Heng (1725) 31 Boadicia..bearing down all before her till rencountred by Suetonius. 1684 Scanderbeg Rediv. iv. 90 Forced him to return back into the Battel, where General Sobieski with a party Rencountred him. |
† b. intr. To encounter each other in battle.
| 1591 Jas. I Lepanto 11 Betwixt the baptiz'd race And circumcised Turband Turkes, Rencountring in that place. |
2. trans. To meet or fall in with (a person, etc.).
| 1549 Compl. Scot. Ded. 7 The historigraphours rehersis of ane pure man of perse, quha be chance rencountrit kyng darius. 1574 Reg. Privy Council Scot. II. 404 A schip of the toun of Tweisk..and ane uther schip..wer in thair dew cours rancounterit and takin be a schip of weare. 1672 Shadwell Miser v. iii, I wonder who those fellows were we rancounter'd last night. 1696 Aubrey Misc. 72 A Minister walking over the Park to give Sir John Warre a visit, was rencountred by a venerable old man. 1889 Stevenson Master of B. 97 On the occasion I had the good fortune to rencounter you at Durris-deer. |
† b. intr. Const. with. Obs.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii. 330 To my great contentment, I rancountred here with a countrey Gentleman of mine. Ibid. viii. 373 Vpon the seauenth day, wee rancountred with another soyle. 1644 Sir W. Mure Let. Wks. (S.T.S.) Introd. 16 We are now lying before Newcastle engaiged anew to rancounter w{supt} new dangers. 1676 Row Contn. Blair's Autobiog. xii. (1848) 475 The English rencounters with the Dutch Smyrna fleet..and takes some of them. |
c. To meet each other.
| 1802 Ld. Campbell Let. in Life (1881) I. 100 They had arrived before me, but through some misunderstanding we never rencountered. |
† 3. trans. To come into contact or collision with.
| 1671 R. Bohun Wind 38 The Repulse or Antiperistasis, which the hot and dry exhalations meet with by rancountring the cold Clouds. 1685 J. Scott Chr. Life ii. 146 Men wander about in the dark, and justle and rancounter one another. 1695 Blackmore Pr. Arth. vii. 544 Swords clashing Swords, and Shields rencountring Shields. |
b. intr. To come together, collide. Obs.
| 1712 Blackmore Creation i. (ed. 2) 8 Could stupid Atomes..From Regions opposite begin their Flight, That here they might Rencounter, here Unite? 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. II. xvi. 239 The balls will seem to rencounter and pass over each other. |
† 4. To move counter to something. Obs. rare—1.
| 1689 T. Plunket Char. Gd. Commander 28 Ran-counter to the counter-part, and you Perchance some un-expected thing may do. |
Hence renˈcountering vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 505 There is a certaine place of sea, where these destracted tydes make their rancountering Randeuouze, that whirleth euer about. 1720 Swift Mod. Educ. Wks. 1755 II. ii. 35 What a figure he would make at a siege or blockade or rencountering. |