nt]
| 1. | a person or business authorized to act on another's behalf: Our agent in Hong Kong will ship the merchandise. A best-selling author needs a good agent. |
| 2. | a person or thing that acts or has the power to act. |
| 3. | a natural force or object producing or used for obtaining specific results: Many insects are agents of fertilization. |
| 4. | an active cause; an efficient cause. |
| 5. | a person who works for or manages an agency. |
| 6. | a person who acts in an official capacity for a government or private agency, as a guard, detective, or spy: an FBI agent; the secret agents of a foreign power. |
| 7. | a person responsible for a particular action: Who was the agent of this deed? |
| 8. | Grammar. a form or construction, usually a noun or noun phrase, denoting an animate being that performs or causes the action expressed by the verb, as the police in The car was found by the police. |
| 9. | Indian agent. |
| 10. | a representative of a business firm, esp. a traveling salesperson; canvasser; solicitor. |
| 11. | Chemistry. a substance that causes a reaction. |
| 12. | Pharmacology. a drug or chemical capable of eliciting a biological response. |
| 13. | Pathology. any microorganism capable of causing disease. |
| 14. | British. a campaign manager; an election agent. |
| 15. | acting; exerting power (opposed to patient ). |
| 16. | to represent (a person or thing) as an agent; act as an agent for: to agent a manuscript; Who agented that deal? |

agent
agent a·gent (ā'jənt)
n.
A force or substance, such as a chemical, that causes a change.
| agent (ā'jənt) Pronunciation Key
A substance that can bring about a chemical reaction or a biological effect. Compare reagent. |