What is the part of speech for encounters?

"Encounters" can be a few different parts of speech, depending on its use in a sentence:

* Noun: This is the most common usage. It refers to a meeting or interaction, often unexpected.

* Verb: This is less common, but still valid. It means to meet someone or something unexpectedly.

Here are some examples:

Noun:

* "Our encounters were always brief and casual."

* "He had several close encounters with wild animals on the trail."

Verb:

* "We encountered a group of hikers on the mountain path."

* "She encountered some difficulties getting her business started."

To determine the correct part of speech, you need to consider the context in which the word is used.