Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - encounter

 I. verb  (~ed; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French encuntrer, from Medieval Latin incontrare, from Late Latin incontra toward, from Latin in- + contra against — more at counter  Date: 14th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to meet as an adversary or enemy  b. to engage in conflict with  2. to come upon face-to-face  3. to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly ~ difficulties  intransitive verb to meet especially by chance  II. noun  Date: 14th century  1. a meeting between hostile factions or persons ; a sudden often violent clash an ~ between the police and demonstrators  2.  a. a chance meeting an accidental ~  b. a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person a romantic ~  3. a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body the Martian ~ of a spacecraft