provocateur


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pro·vo·ca·teur

 (prō-vŏk′ə-tûr′)
n.
An agent provocateur.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

provocateur

(prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː) ,

provocator

or

provoker

n
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a person who deliberately behaves controversially in order to provoke argument or other strong reactions
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pro•vo•ca•teur

(prəˌvɒk əˈtɜr, -ˈtʊər)

n.
a person who provokes trouble or incites dissension; agitator; agent provocateur.
[1915–20; < French < Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant =provocā(re) to provoke + -tor -tor]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.provocateur - a secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
intelligence agent, intelligence officer, operative, secret agent - a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

provocateur

[prəˌvɒkəˈtɜːr] nprovocateur/trice m/f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
References in classic literature ?
"You give yourself for an `agent provocateur.' The proper business of an `agent provocateur' is to provoke.
The Agent-General interposed with agent-generalities (but they were merely provocateurs) about Ties of Sentiment.
The most dangerous enemy of the times is the provocateur. Technology can make the work of provocateurs viral, directly or by influence.
A wealth of dizzying ideas emerges from this tiny book (presented by the author in both Spanish and English) as Heffes plays storyteller, philosopher, and provocateur in her quest to entertain and edify her audience.
Featuring Far-Left Provocateur, Islamophiliac, NCAC Communication Director Peter Hart (The ad hominem is a knee-jerk ricochet.)
Provocateur director of operations Guillaume Ferraz and marketing & events manager Zanetta Al-Bu-Saidi discuss the Dubai nightlife venue.
3 AGENT PROVOCATEUR "MADDIE" BRA The Agent Provocateur sale is my nemesis.
The latest contender on the scene is New York's very own Provocateur, a self-proclaimed hub for electronic dance music.
8 August 2014 - UK private equity investor 3i Group Plc (LON:III) has appointed US investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) to consult it on a possible sale of London-based lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur Ltd, Bloomberg reported.
M2 EQUITYBITES-August 8, 2014-3i asks Goldman to find buyer for Agent Provocateur - report