agent, n.1 & adj.

10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
agent
NOUN1 & ADJECTIVE
Etymology
Summary
Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons:Frenchagent; Latinagent-, agē ns, agere.
< (i) Middle Frenchagent (Frenchagent) (noun) person acting on behalf of another, representative,
emissary (1332 in an isolated attestation, subsequently (apparently after Italian) from 1578), person who
or thing which acts upon someone or something (c1370, originally and frequently in philosophical
contexts), substance that brings about a chemical effect or causes a chemical reaction (1612 (in the
passage translated in quot. 1624 at sense A.4) or earlier; rare before early 19th cent.), person who
intrigues (1640), (adjective) that acts, that exerts power (1337; c1450 in grammar; second half of the 15th
cent. in cause agent (compare quot. 1535 at sense B)),
and its etymon (ii) classical Latinagent-, agē ns acting, active, (masculine noun) pleader, advocate, in
post-classical Latin also representative, ofchurch (6th cent.), (neuter noun) (in philosophy) instrumentality, cause (from 8th cent. in British
sources; also in continental sources), uses as adjective and noun of present participle of agere to act, do
(see actv.).
With sense A.1a and corresponding adjectival use compare earlier patientn. and patientadj.
Notes
Parallels in other European languages.
Compare Catalanagent, adjective and noun (14th cent.), Spanishagente (late 14th cent. as noun, early
15th cent. as adjective), Portugueseagente, adjective and noun (15th cent.), Italianagente (a1294 as
adjective, a1328 as noun). Compare also Dutchagent (noun) of(masculine noun) representative, emissary (1546), spy (18th cent., now the usual sense), Agens (neuter
noun) person who or thing which acts upon someone or something (1598).

NOUN
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
1.a. A person who or thing which acts upon someone or something; one who or that which a1500–
exerts power; the doer of an action. Sometimes contrasted with the patient (instrument,
etc.) undergoing the action. Cf. actorn. 3a.
Earliest in Alchemy: a force capable of acting upon matter, an active principle. Now chiesociological contexts.
a1500 The fyrst [kind of combining] is callyd by phylosophers dyptatyve be-twyxte ye agent & ye
(1471) pacyent.
G. Ripley, Compend of Alchemy (Ashmole MS.) l. 718
a1555 The forgeuenes of oure sinnes..is onely gods worke & we nothing els but patientes & not
agentes.
J. Bradford, Godlie Medit. Lordes Prayer (1562) sig. Q.ii
1614 For he maketh foure originals, whereof three are agents, and the last passiue and
materiall.
W. Raleigh, History of Worldi.i. i. §6. 6
1646 Nor are we to be meer instruments moved by the will of those in authority..but are morall
Agents.
S. Bolton, Arraignment of Errour 295
1788 He that is not free is not an agent, but a patient.
J. Wesley, Serm. Several Occasionsvol. V. 177
1809 Agent and Patient, when the same person is the doer of a thing, and the party to whom
done: as where a woman endows herself of the best part of her husband's possessions.
T. E. Tomlins, Jacob's Law-dictionary
1870 In conformity with this view, the distinction between agent and patient, between
something which acts and some other thing which is acted upon, is formally abolished.
F. C. Bowen, Logic xii. 401
1909 We are..conversant with the fact in human ais an intelligent agent.
Popular Science Monthly April 379
1989 It is silly to berate the hurricane for irresponsibility... It..cannot be a true agent; it cannot
author or own an action.
C. T. Sistare, Responsibility & Criminal Liability ii. iv. 15
2010 It is only an exercise of power if the agent gets the subject to do something whether or not
the subject wants to do it.
J. R. Searle, Making Social World vii. 152

cause of some process or change. Frequently with for, in, of.
Sometimes dihttps://www.oed.com/dictionary/agent_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#8694696 2/21

10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
1571 Faieth is produced and brought foorth by the grace of God, as chiefe agent and worker
thereof.
W. Fulke, Confut. Popishe Libelle (new edition) f. 108v
1592 I stepped back againe into the garden,..leauing them still agents of these vnkind villanies.
R. Greene, Philomela sig. F4v
1645 The distans.
A. Ross, Philosophicall Touch-stone 35
1666 Whether or no the Shape can by Physical Agents be alter'd.., yet mentally both..can be done.
R. Boyle, Origine of Formes & Qualities 9
1699 When the Samians invaded Zancle, a..great Agent in that aR. Bentley, Dissertation upon Epistles of Phalaris (new edition) 155
1719 I was still to be the wilful Agent of all my own Miseries.
D. Defoe, Life Robinson Crusoe 43
1722 Nor can I think, that any body has such an idea of chance, as to make it an agent or really
existing and acting cause of any thing.
W. Wollaston, Religion of Nature v. 60
1848 Successful production..depends more on the qualities of the human agents, than on the
circumstances in which they work.
J. S. Mill, Principles of Political Economyvol. I.i. vii. 123
1875 The Rhizopods were important agents in the accumulation of beds of limestone.
J. W. Dawson, Life's Dawn on Earth vi. 134
1904 The glacier will be eJournal of Geology (Chicago) vol. 12 574
1963 The key idea of man as the agent for the whole future of evolution.
J. S. Huxley, Human Crisis 19
2010 At Cambridge..I had no theories about theatre as an agent of social or political change.
S. Fry, Fry Chronicles 94
1.c. Grammar. The doer of an action, typically expressed as the subject of an active verb or in c1620–
a by-phrase with a passive verb.
Cf. agent nounn.
c1620 The active verb adheres to the person of the agent; As, Christ hath conquered hel and

1652 John and Peter (1 The Agent.) travelled together to (2 The Verb.) Rome.
F. Lodowyck, Ground-work New Perfect Language 15
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
1764 ReC. Wiseman, Compl. English Grammar 155
1771 An active verb..necessarily supposes an agent, and an object acted upon; as..I praise John.
D. Fenning, New Gram. English Tongue 32
1845 It often becomes necessary to state the object of a verb active, or the agent of a verb
passive. Hence arises the necessity for..the accusative and the ablative.
Encyclopædia Metropolitana (1847) vol. I. 33/1
1953 With an intransitive verb the subject is as much a patient as an agent. I walk is as much ‘I
cause my walking’ as ‘I experience my walking’.
W. J. Entwhistle, Aspects of Language vi. 179
2007 Truck driver is an acceptable (and existing) compound..but child-driver is not
acceptable..since child is the agent of the verb.
N. Tsujimura, Introd. Japanese Linguisticsiv. vii. 166
grammar
1.d. Parapsychology. In telepathy: the person who originates an impression (opposed to the 1883–
percipient who receives it).
1883 In Thought-transference..both parties (whom, for convenience' sake, we will call the Agent
and the Percipient) are supposed to be in a normal state.
Proceedings of Society for Psychical Research 1882–3vol. 1 119
1886 We call the owner of the impressing mind the agent, and the owner of the impressed mind
the percipient.
E. Gurney et al., Phantasms of Livingvol. I. 6
1961 Spontaneous cases [of telepathy] do occasionally occur in which no such connection
between apparent agent and apparent percipient can be traced.
W. H. Salter, Zoar xi. 149
1990 Analytical attention..has shifted down the years from agent (sender) to percipient (receiver).
L. Picknett, Encycl. Paranormal 218/1
parapsychology
2. A person acting on behalf of another.
2.a. A person who acts as a substitute for another; one who undertakes negotiations or 1523–
transactions on behalf of a superior, employer, or principal; a deputy, steward,

matters for an actor, performer, writer, etc.
In earliest use: a theatrical agent. literary, press, publicity, sports agent, etc.: see the https://www.oed.com/dictionary/agent_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#8694696 7/21

10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
1825 Mr. Schemer, the agent, had no situation for our hero upon his books, but Proteus
heard..that Mr. Make-a-bill..was in great want of a person at his theatre.
P. Egan, Life of Actor vi. 220
1892 By an early hour of the numbered evening I might have been observed..dining with my
agent.
R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne, Wrecker vi. 95
1917 The name on the door was Abe Riesbitter, Vaudeville Agent, and from the other side of
the door came the sound of many voices.
P. G. Wodehouse, Man with Two Left Feet 34
1946 Mr Watt, my agent, and Mr Faber, my publisher, have Daimlers and country cottages.
P. Larkin, Letter 28 July in Selected Letters (1992) 120
1970 Her agent..was nonplussed. ‘Look, baby,’ he gently chided, ‘we're walking away with one
million..dollars a picture.’
T. Southern, Blue Moviei. viii. 64
1983 Agents, often to justify their percentage when all they really do for a big star is make a
phone call, are geniuses when it comes to new things to ask for.
W. Goldman, Adventures in Screen Trade 18
2003 [She] was no longer the timid, inexperienced ingénue..protected by her agent.
C. Fitheatre 2.f. U.S. A stagecoach robber; = road agentn. Now historical. 1876–
1876 The driver San Andreas.
Weekly Calaveras Chronicle (Mokelumne Hill, California) 29 July 3/1
1880 We reached it before long, and concluded that the ‘agents’, or robbers, had an excellent
eye for position.
A. A. Hayes, New Colorado (1881) xi. 154
1904 Nex' time I drives stage some of these yere agents massacrees me from behind a bush.
S. E. White, Blazed Trail Storiesii. iii. 155
1970 The agents developed a system of marking departing stagecoaches that were carrying
treasure so that confederates would know which ones to stop.
H. S. Drago, Great Range Wars xviii. 207

3. The means by which something is done; the material cause or instrument through which an 1579–
effect is produced (often implying a rational employer or contriver).
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
Sometimes overlapping with sense A.1b.
1579 The gallowes is no agent or doer in those good thinges.
W. Fulke, Heskins Parleament Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 621
1593 Not a nayle in it [sc. the Crosse] but is a necessary Agent in the Worlds redemption.
T. Nashe, Christs Teares 21/1
a1616 Here is her hand, the agent of her heart.
W. Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. iii. 46
1654 God doth often good works by ill agents.
J. Bramhall, Just Vindication of Church of England iii. 43
1793 War, which is the agent which must in general be employed upon these occasions,
presents..an uncertain court of judicature.
B. Vaughan, Letters Concert of Princes p. iii
1842 Nature..Thro' many agents making strong, Matures the individual form.
Lord Tennyson, Love thou thy Land in Poems (new edition) vol. I. 225
1878 Whatever thus furnishes us with the that is, something which acts for us and assists us.
W. S. Jevons, Political Economy 26
1920 Money is the agent through which good purposes are made eIntellectvol. 12 233/2
2002 [In Marlowe's physiology] the arteries..carry the vital spirit..which is the agent by which the
soul eY. Takahashi in S. W. Wells, Shakespeare Surv. 181
4. Chemistry. A substance that brings about a chemical or physical effect or causes a chemical 1624–
reaction. In later use chieeffect or reaction. Cf. reagentn. 2.
alkylating, oxidizing, reducing, wetting agent, etc.: see the 1624 The vinegre..is the onely Agent [French l'vnique agent; Latin solum medium aptum] in the whole
World for this Art, that can resolue and reincrudate, or make raw againe the Mettallicke
Bodies.
‘E. Orandus’, translation of N. Flamel, Expos. Hieroglyphicall Figures St. Innocent's Church-yard 159
1671 The agent in the change wrought by Petrisaxeous odour, or invisible ferment.

Acting, exerting power (sometimes contrasted with patientadj. A.2a). 1535–
† party agentnoun Obsolete Law the person or party bringing a suit.
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
1535 The fynall necessytie also, and the cause agent [Latin causam agentem] or eW. Marshall, translation of Marsilius of Padua, Defence of Peacei. viii. f. 67v
1575 The ayre being more thin and liquide then the water, and more vnable to resist, is sooner and
more easily atranslation of L. Daneau, Dialogue Witches iii. sig. E.vii
1615 Hughe Mill and Elinor his wife the parties agentes in this cause and William delve defendent.
in B. Cusack, Everyday English 1500–1700 (1998) 24
1620 What a hot fellow Sol (whom all Agent Causes follow).
J. Melton, Astrologaster 13
1704 The proper oJ. Norris, Essay Ideal Worldvol. II. vii. 350
1856 Agent or patient, singly or one of a crowd.
T. De Quincey, Confessions Eng. Opium-eater (revised edition) in Selections Grave & Gayvol. V. 83
1949 The Philosopher is speaking in that passage not of the agent cause but of the formal cause.
M. C. Fitzpatrick, translation of St. Thomas Aquinas, On Spiritual Creatures i. 25
2009 The [Philippine] people have transmogriagent force of revolution.
N. X. M. Tadiar, Things fall Away vii. 290
Pronunciation
BRITISH ENGLISH U.S. ENGLISH
/ˈeɪdʒ(ə)nt/ /ˈeɪdʒ(ə)nt/
AY-juhnt AY-juhnt
Pronunciation keys
Forms
Variant forms
late Middle English– agent

1600s agentt
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
Frequency
agent is one of the 1,000 most common words in modern written English. It is similar in frequency to
words like agree, distribution, kill, military, and sell.
It typically occurs about 100 times per million words in modern written English.
agent is in frequency band 7, which contains words occurring between 100 and 1,000 times per million
words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.
Frequency of agent, n.¹ & adj., 1750–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google
Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word,
any plural or inFor sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³,
etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
Frequency of agent, n.¹ & adj., 2017–2023
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the
present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World
English.
Compounds & derived words
Sort by Date (oldest nihilagent, n. 1579–80
A person who does nothing.
agentry, n. 1590–
The ofagency; the process or fact of being an agent…
vice-agent, n. 1597–

agentship, n. 1608–
The position, role, or function of an agent (in various senses); agency. Also: an instance of this.
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
mis-agent, n. 1625
non-agent, n. 1632–
smock-agent, n. 1632–
agent, v. 1637–
transitive. To act as agent in (some business or process); to conduct or carry out as agent. Also: to
act as an agent for (a person or project).
agenting, n. 1646–
The business or process of acting as an agent (in various senses); the profession of an agent.
foreign agent, n. 1646–
A person who represents or acts on behalf of one country while located in another; (in later use
spec.) a person who works secretly to obtain…
free agent, n. 1649–
a. A person able to act freely, as by the exercise of free will, or because of the absence of
restriction, constraint, or responsibilities; b. Sport…
reagent, n. 1656–
Chemistry. A substance used in testing for other substances, or for reacting with them in a
particular way; (more widely) any substance used in…
agent general, n. 1659–
spec. (sometimes with capital initials). Formerly: the representative of a British colony in London
(now historical). Later: the representative of an…
under-agent, n. 1677–
A sub-agent.
subagent, n. 1683–
A subordinate agent; (U.S. Law) an agent authorized to transact business or otherwise act on
behalf of another.
chemical agent, n. 1728–
A chemical substance producing a speci(now often) spec. a substance used to incapacitate…
inter-agent, n. 1728–
An intermediate agent; a go-between, intermediary.
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found in our Cookie Policy.
or trade; spec. (U.S.) an oftravelling agent, n. 1737–
A travelling salesperson; a representative who travels on behalf of a company.
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
crown agent, n. 1753–
An agent for the Crown; spec. (usually with capital initials) (a) in Scotland, a law ofcharge of criminal proceedings, acting under…
agentess, n. 1757–
A female agent.
navy agent, n. 1765–
A person or paymaster or purser in the U.S. navy (obsolete).
Indian agent, n. 1766–
An ofpeople; (in Canada) the chief government…
prize agent, n. 1766–
An agent appointed for the sale of prizes taken in maritime war.
An agent (now esp. an intelligence agent) who works away from a central ofadvertising agent, n. 1775–
purchasing agent, n. 1777–
coal agent, n. 1778–
federal agent, n. 1781–
A representative of the U.S. federal government, (now) esp. a federal law-enforcement ofnewspaper agent, n. 1781–
agent noun, n. 1782–
A noun (in English typically one ending in -er or -or) denoting someone or something that
performs the action of a verb, as worker, accelerator, etc.
estate agent, n. 1787–
A person or company involved in the business or profession of arranging the sale, purchase, or
rental of buildings and land for clients. Also (also…
revenue agent, n. 1787–
recruiting agent, n. 1792–
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An agent employed (by the landlord or owner) in letting or selling a house, collecting rents, etc.;
found in our Cookie Policy.
(now esp.) an estate agent.
literary agent, n. 1794–
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
An agent (now typically a professional one) who acts on behalf of an author in dealing with
publishers and others involved in promoting his or her…
theatrical agent, n. 1797–
An agent whose business is to act as an intermediary between actors looking for work and those
seeking to employ them.
commission agent, n. 1798–
†a. = commission broker, n. (a) (obsolete); b. an agent who conducts business or trade for another
party on the principle of commission (commission…
book agent, n. 1810–
A person who promotes the sale of books; (now) spec. a literary agent (cf. agent, n.¹ A.2e).
forwarding agent, n. 1810–
A person or business that organizes the shipment or transportation of goods.
newsagent, n. 1811–
A dealer in newspapers and periodicals, esp. the owner of a shop where these are sold; (now also)
the shop itself, usually also selling tobacco…
police agent, n. 1813–
ship-agent, n. 1813
A shipping agent.
oxidizing agent, n. 1814–
A substance that brings about oxidation and in the process is itself reduced.
press agent, n. 1814–
A person employed to organize advertising and publicity in the press on behalf of an organization
or person.
reducing agent, n. 1816–
A substance that brings about chemical reduction and in the process is itself oxidized; cf.
oxidizing agent, n.
parliamentary agent, n. 1819–
A person professionally employed to take charge of the interests of a party concerned in or
affected by any private legislation.
counter-agent, n. 1821–
A counteracting agent or force; a counteractant.

agentless, adj. 1831–
Lacking an agent (in various senses); without an agent.
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
business agent, n. 1831–
customs agent, n. 1838–
= customs ofmine agent, n. 1839–
agentive, adj. & n. 1840–
Of or relating to an agent or agency (see agent, n.¹ A.1c); indicating or having the semantic role of
an agent.
railroad agent, n. 1840–
road agent, n. 1840–
†a. An agent or driver for a stagecoach company (obsolete); b. a robber who steals from travellers
or holds up vehicles on the road (now historical).
rogue agent, n. 1840–
station agent, n. 1840–
a. Chieworks for (a particular branch of) an intelligence…
A substance used to clarify a liquid; spec. (a) a substance used to remove organic compounds
from a liquid, esp. beer or wine, to improve the clarity…
freight agent, n. 1843–
shipping-agent, n. 1843–
A licensed agent who transacts a ship's business for the owner.
goods agent, n. 1844–
intelligence agent, n. 1844–
patent agent, n. 1845–
land-agent, n. 1846–
A steward or manager of landed property; also, an agent for the sale of land, an estate agent.
change agent, n. 1847–
A person who initiates social or political change within a group or institution.
Oxfo p r a d y U a n g i e ve n r t s , i t n y . Pre1s8s4 u7s–es cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By selecting ‘accept all’ you
are Aangr oeeffounreds ipno onusri b Cloeo fkoire a Pdovliicsyin. g the U.S. president on rates of…
bureau agent, n. 1848–
An agent or ofhttps://www.oed.com/dictionary/agent_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#8694696 17/21

10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
booking agent, n. 1849–
a. A person who or a business which arranges transport or travel for goods or passengers, or sells
tickets in advance for concerts, plays, or other… Frequently derogatory in early use, denoting
agents for railway or shipping companies who issued tickets or passes which were greatly
overpriced or invalid; cf. booker, n. 3a.
passenger agent, n. 1852–
baggage-agent, n. 1858–
employment agent, n. 1859–
An individual acting as a professional intermediary between applicants for work and employers.
claim-agent, n. 1860–
matrimonial agent, n. 1860–
personation agent, n. 1864–
An ofadvance agent, n. 1865–
An agent who is sent on ahead of a main party (cf. advance man, n.); also transfer agent, n. 1869–
information agent, n. 1871–
mission-agent, n. 1871–
lecture agent, n. 1873–
publicity agent, n. 1877–
agent word, n. 1879–
A word that indicates agency or active force; esp. a word that denotes the doer of an action; =
agent noun, n.
personating agent, n. 1879–
= personation agent, n.
rental agent, n. 1880–
bittering agent, n. 1883–

tourist agent, n. 1884–
raising agent, n. 1885–
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
A substance, such as yeast or baking powder, which is used in dough or batter to make it rise
during (and sometimes before) baking.
travel agent, n. 1885–
A person who owns or works for a travel agency; (also) a travel agency.
polling agent, n. 1887–
An ofstation on the day of an election.
special agent, n. 1893–
A person who conducts investigations on behalf of the government; (now) spec. (U.S.) a person
who conducts criminal investigations and has arrest…
transport-agent, n. 1897–
alkylating agent, n. 1900–
A substance that brings about alkylation; (Pharmacology) any of a class of cytotoxic
immunosuppressant drugs which alkylate DNA and are used in…
addition agent, n. 1909–
(In electrodeposition) a substance which is added to an electrolyte, typically in small quantities,
in order to modify the quality of the deposit…
site agent, n. 1910–
a. An agent authorized to inspect, survey, and purchase land for development (rare); b. (in the
construction industry) a person responsible for…
marketing agent, n. 1915–
harassing agent, n. 1919–
A non-lethal chemical which is deployed in the form of a gas or aerosol and used to incapacitate
an enemy or disperse a crowd; = harassing gas, n.
contrast agent, n. 1924–
A substance introduced into a part of the body to enhance the quality of a radiographic image by
increasing the contrast of internal structures with…
binding agent, n. 1933–
A substance that assists cohesion (cf. bind, v. III.10).
stock-agent, n. 1933–
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release agent, n. 1938–
A substance which is applied to a surface in order to prevent adhesion to it.
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10/9/24, 7:26 PM agent, n.¹ & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
sports agent, n. 1943–
A person who represents a professional athlete in sleeper agent, n. 1945–
= sleeper, n. I.2d.
bioagent, n. 1950–
A harmful or disease-producing microorganism, biopesticide, biotoxin, etc., esp. one used in
warfare or for the purposes of terrorism.
G-agent, n. 1953–
Any of a group of four organophosphorus nerve agents originally developed by German scientists
during the Second World War, characterized by being…
uncoupling agent, n. 1956–
= uncoupler, n.
stripping agent, n. 1958–
nerve agent, n. 1960–
A substance that alters the functioning of the nervous system, typically inhibiting
neurotransmission; esp. one used as a weapon, a nerve gas.
Agent Orange, n. 1966–
A defoliant and herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War to remove forest
cover and destroy crops. Cf. agent, n.¹ & adj.compounds…
penetration agent, n. 1966–
A spy sent to penetrate an enemy organization.
treble agent, n. 1967–
A spy who works for three countries, his or her superiors in each being informed of his or her
service to the other, but usually with actual…
triple agent, n. 1968–
= treble agent, n.
managing agent, n. 1969–
A person responsible for administering or managing an activity (esp. a sale) on behalf of another;
(Insurance) a manager of an underwriting syndicate…
masking agent, n. 1977–
A chemical compound which conceals the presence of a substance within the body; (Sport) a

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