Definitions of encounter:

noun: a casual meeting with a person of thing
noun: a hostile disagreement face-to-face
noun: a casual or unexpected convergence
Example: "There was a brief encounter in the hallway"
noun: a minor short-term fight
verb: be beset by
verb: experience as a reaction
verb: contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
verb: come together
verb: come upon, as if by accident; meet with