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One who contends for the prize in public games. [R.]

ained; unnatural. As a scholar, he [Dr. Parr] was brilliant, but he consumed his power in agonistic displays. De Quincey.

In an agonistic manner.

The science of athletic combats, or contests in public games.

One who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; an opponent. Antagonist of Heaven's Almigthy King. Milton. Our antagonists in these controversies. Hooker.

Opposing in combat, combating; contending or acting against; as, antagonistic forces. -- An*tag`o*nis"tic*al*ly, adv. They were distinct, adverse, even antagonistic. Milman.

o takes lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the like. Shakespeare, the protagonist on the great of modern poetry. De Quincey.

le ship of a fleet. Like some mighty admiral, dark and terrible, bearing down upon his antagonist with all his canvas straining to the wind, and all his thunders roaring from his broadsides. E. Everett.

Opposed; opposite; adverse; antagonistic. [Archaic] Bp. King.

A denier or opponent of Christ. Specif.: A great antagonist, person or power, expected to precede Christ's second coming.

Antagonistic to one's country or nation, or to a national government.

ation of oxygen, but now known to be hydrogen dioxide; -- so called because apparently antagonistic to ozone, converting it into ordinary oxygen.

A state of being obliged to face an antagonist or a difficulty, when escape has become impossible. Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay. Dryden. The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts. I. Taylor

re the wind. -- To bear back, to retreat. "Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist." Sir W. Scott. -- To bear down upon (Naut.), to approach from the windward side; as, the fleet bore down upon the enemy. -- To bear in with (Naut.), to run or tend toward; as, a ship bears in with the land. -- To bear…

ves to hold fast; a grip; a grasp; a clamp; a holdfast; as, to get a good clinch of an antagonist, or of a weapon; to secure anything by a clinch.

in the ring to be toed by the combatants in beginning a contest; hence: (b) To meet an antagonist or a difficulty bravely. [Colloq.] -- To come to time. (a) (Prize Fighting) To come forward in order to resume the contest when the interval allowed for rest is over and "time" is called; hence: (b) To keep an appointment;…

n antagonist; a contestant. [Obs.] In all notable changes and revolutions the contendents have been still made a prey to the third party. L'Estrange.

Contrary; opposed; antagonistic; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.] The struggles of contrariant factions. Coleridge.

Contrary; opposite; contrasted; opposed; adverse; antagonistic; as, a counter current; a counter revolution; a counter poison; a counter agent; counter fugue. "Innumerable facts attesting the counter principle." I. Taylor. Counter approach (Fort.), a trench or work pushed forward from defensive works to meet the approa…

maid, That ever crowed for kisses. Tennyson. To crow over, to exult over a vanquished antagonist. Sennacherib crowing over poor Jerusalem. Bp. Hall.