antagonist
noun
an·tag·o·nist
an-ˈta-gə-nist
2
: an agent of physiological antagonism: such as
a
: a muscle that contracts with and limits the action of an agonist with which it is paired
called also antagonistic muscle
b
: a chemical that acts within the body to reduce the physiological activity of another chemical substance (such as an opiate)
especially
: one that opposes the action on the nervous system of a drug or a substance occurring naturally in the body by combining with and blocking its nervous receptor compare agonist sense 2b
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share