Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
ENCOUNTER
I. verb (encountered; encountering) see: counter
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. to meet as an adversary or enemy, to engage in conflict with, to come upon face-to-face, to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly , intransitive verb to meet especially by chance,
II. noun
Date: 14th century
a meeting between hostile factions or persons ; a sudden often violent clash ,
2. a chance meeting , a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person , a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body