rencontre

/rɑːnˈkɑːntrə/
noun
  1. A chance meeting or encounter, often between people who have not seen each other for a long time.
    • Their rencontre at the airport was completely unexpected after twenty years.
    • The old friends had a joyful rencontre in the park one sunny afternoon.
    • She described their first rencontre as a lucky accident in a crowded café.
  2. A brief conflict or skirmish, especially between military forces or opponents.
    • The two patrols had a sharp rencontre near the border before withdrawing.
    • Historians recorded a minor rencontre between the rival armies that day.
    • The knights engaged in a fierce rencontre on the open field.