agonist

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “combatant, champion”).

noun

  1. Someone involved in a contest or battle (as in an agon), protagonist.
  2. The muscle that contracts while the other relaxes.
    When bending the elbow, the biceps is the agonist.
  3. (biochemistry, pharmacology) A molecule that can combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiological reaction.
    Acetylcholine is an agonist at the cholinergic receptor.

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