Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who agitates, especially one who engages in political agitation.
  • noun An apparatus that shakes or stirs, as in a washing machine.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who or that which agitates. Specifically—
  • noun A machine for agitating and mixing; specifically, a machine for stirring pulverized ore in water.
  • noun A name given to certain officers appointed by the army of the English Commonwealth in 1647-9 to manage their concerns. There were two from each regiment.
  • noun [It has been supposed that in this sense the proper spelling of the word is adjutator, meaning not one who agitates, but one who assists. But Dr. J. A. H. Murray says: “Careful investigation satisfies me that Agitator was the actual title, and Adjutator originally only a bad spelling of soldiers familiar with Adjutants and the Adjutors of 1642.”]

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who agitates; one who stirs up or excites others.
  • noun (Eng. Hist.) One of a body of men appointed by the army, in Cromwell's time, to look after their interests; -- called also adjutators.
  • noun An implement for shaking or mixing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who agitates; one who stirs up or excites others; as, political reformers and agitators.
  • noun An implement for shaking or mixing.
  • noun One of a body of men appointed by the army, in Cromwell's time, to look after their interests; called also adjutators.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun one who agitates; a political troublemaker

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Funny how CNN gives the percentage on good news but on the bad you the 56% who think this community agitator is doing a poor job on economy, you dont mention it.

    CNN Poll: Obama approval drops 7 points over last 100 days 2009

  • A Chicago Ward healer/racial street agitator is not fit for President, and especially not a MARXIST like NObama.

    Obama Steps Up His Criticism of McCain - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008

  • "They say I'm a short-term agitator, but the most money I've made are those investments that I held six, seven, eight years," said Mr. Icahn, citing various energy, railcar and casino investments.

    Yahoo's Bostock, Yang Call Benjamin Pimentel, Jessica E. Vascellaro 2008

  • Martin Karsums — Little agitator is fesity and aggressive, creates tons of chances, and he just keeps scoring goals.

    USATODAY.com - Christmas means tourney time for juniors 2003

  • There are so many people who think that an agitator is necessarily an unwashed, unshaven man, in tatters, with a pamphlet in one hand and a bomb in the other who offers no other alternative except to choose between them.

    Is Quebec A British Province? 1934

  • Dr. Malan has hedged it in with four conditions: that the Paddison Deputation should be the only party to give evidence before this Committee on behalf of the Government of India; that there should be no other deputation, no "agitator" - this is Dr. Malan ` s own expression - sent from India to supplement that evidence; that the

    87. INTERVIEW WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEPUTATION, FEBRUARY 14, 1926 1926

  • When I mentioned that I couldn't quite see that it was the lack of thrift, the intemperance, and the depravity of a half-starved child of six that made it work twelve hours every night in a Southern cotton mill, these sisters of Judy O'Grady attacked my private life and called me an "agitator" -- as though that, forsooth, settled the argument.

    Revolution, and Other Essays Jack London 1896

  • Frequently called an agitator and, in a different age, an activist, Ozzie was as prickly to his enemies—usually the Justice Department, four Republican administrations, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Army—as he was loving to his friends, which included a generation of progressive journalists and activists.

    A Bob Lee Swagger eBook Boxed Set Stephen Hunter 2009

  • Frequently called an agitator and, in a different age, an activist, Ozzie was as prickly to his enemies—usually the Justice Department, four Republican administrations, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Army—as he was loving to his friends, which included a generation of progressive journalists and activists.

    A Bob Lee Swagger eBook Boxed Set Stephen Hunter 2009

  • Frequently called an agitator and, in a different age, an activist, Ozzie was as prickly to his enemies—usually the Justice Department, four Republican administrations, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Army—as he was loving to his friends, which included a generation of progressive journalists and activists.

    A Bob Lee Swagger eBook Boxed Set Stephen Hunter 2009

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