Encounter, n.
Etymology: [OF. encontre, fr. encontrer. See Encounter, v. t.]
1. A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview. To shun the encounter of the vulgar crowd. Pope.
2. A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter. As one for . . . fierce encounters fit. Spenser. To join their dark encounter in mid-air. Milton .
Syn. -- Contest; conflict; fight; combat; assault; rencounter; attack; engagement; onset. See Contest.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Encounter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Encountered; p. pr. & vb. n. Encountering.]
To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. Acts xvii. 18. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. Shak.
Encounter, v. i.
To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo. I will encounter with Andronicus. Shak. Perception and judgment, employed in the investigation of all truth, have in the first place to encounter with particulars. Tatham.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for encounter; he lists it under attack, battle, collision.
Where he writes about it:
Armies or squadrons charge; combat and encounter may be said of individual contests. — from attack
To encounter is to meet face to face, and may be said either of the attacking or of the resisting force or person, or of both. — from attack
Combat, originally a hostile encounter between individuals, is now used also for extensive engagements. — from battle
An encounter may be either purposed or accidental, between individuals or armed forces. — from battle
An encounter is always violent, and generally hostile. — from collision