agitator
agitator Lexical Profile
agitator Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who urges others to protest, rebel, or take political or social action, often viewed as a troublemaker by authorities.
"The factory owners accused the union organizer of being an outside agitator trying to disrupt production."
A mechanical device or apparatus used for stirring, shaking, or mixing liquids or other substances, such as the rotating central spindle inside a washing machine.
"Top-loading washing machines often use a central plastic agitator to twist the clothes through soapy water."
• Rhymes for agitator
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin agitator, literally meaning 'a driver' (such as a charioteer or herdsman), from the verb agitare ('to drive, stir up, or set in constant motion'). During the English Civil War in 1647, the term was used for elected representatives of the parliamentary army (originally an alteration of 'adjutator'), which helped cement its modern political sense.