agonist

English

Etymology

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

Noun

agonist (plural agonists)

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.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• agonistical
• agonistics
• antagonist

• deuteragonist
• protagonist
• tritagonist

Translations

someone involved in a contest or battle

• Finnish: taistelija (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: agonista (pt) m or f

a muscle that contracts while another relaxes

• Finnish: vaikuttajalihas, agonisti (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: agonista (pt) m

molecule that can combine with a receptor on a cell

• Czech: agonista (cs) m
• Esperanto: agonisto
• Finnish: agonisti (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: agonista (pt) m
• Swedish: agonist (sv)