/'eɪdʒənt; `edʒənt/
n
1 person who acts for, or manages the affairs of, other people in business, politics, etc （商业, 政治等方面的）代理人, 经纪人
*an insurance agent 保险业经纪人
* a travel agent 旅行社经纪人
* our agents in the Middle East 我们在中东的代理人.
2 (a) person who does sth or causes sth to happen （做某事或使某事发生的）施动者
*the agent of his own ruin 他自我毁灭的根源.
(b) force or substance that produces an effect or change 产生某种效果或变化的力量或物质; 动因; 作用物; 剂
*cleaning, oxidizing agents 除垢剂, 氧化剂
* Yeast is the raising agent in bread. 酵母是面包的发酵剂.
3 = secret agent (secret)
*an enemy agent 敌探.

n[C]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin;Origin: , from the present participle of Latin agere 'to drive, lead, act, move, do']
a person or company that represents another person or company, especially in business
　Our agent in Rio deals with all our Brazilian business.
agent for
　We're acting as agents for Mr Watson.
→estate agent, real estate agent, land agent, travel agent
someone who finds work for actors, musicians etc, or who finds someone to publish a writer's work
　My agent has a new script for me to look at.
　a literary agent
someone who works for a government or police department, especially in order to get secret information about another country or organization
　an intelligence agent
　an FBI agent
　an undercover (=secret) agent
→secret agent, double agent
technical a chemical or substance that is used for a particular purpose or that has a particular effect
　Soap is a cleansing agent.
someone or something that affects or changes a situation
agent for/of change
　Technological advances are the chief agents of change.
→free agent