rencontre

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   literary or archaic: a chance or unexpected meeting or encounter

   Their brief rencontre on the staircase ended with a distant nod.

2. 2
   verb

   obsolete: to meet or encounter, especially unexpectedly or in conflict

   The travelers feared they might rencontre the rival party at the pass.

From Middle English rencontren, borrowed from Middle French rencontrer ('meet, encounter'), built from re- + encontre ('against, opposite'). The noun preserves the French rencontre and became a literary English term for an unexpected meeting.

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