agent

a|gent [ `eıdʒənt ] noun count ***

1. ) a person or company that does business for another person or company, for example by selling their products or by dealing with their customers:

a shipping agent

a ) someone whose job is to help a writer, performer, or an ATHLETE by finding work for them:

a literary agent

2. ) someone who works for a country's INTELLIGENCE AGENCY and collects secret information about foreign governments: SPY:

a secret/undercover/intelligence/CIA agent

a ) an official of some U.S. government departments, such as the FBI:

Agent Lehman spoke with the police about the case.

b ) in the U.K., someone who helps a person to become a member of PARLIAMENT

=> DOUBLE AGENT, SPECIAL AGENT

3. ) TECHNICAL a substance that has a particular effect:

oxidizing agents

a ) FORMAL something that causes change:

agent of: Soil erosion is a major agent of environmental change.