Accoster

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who approaches others with the intent to initiate conversation, typically in a bold or intrusive way
2. Someone who deliberately approaches others, often unexpectedly, to start a conversation
3. An individual who comes up to people, sometimes in an unwelcome or forward manner, to engage them

Etymology: Accost itself is an older verb, borrowed into English from French "accoster," which in turn comes from Late Latin "accostare," meaning to be side by side with, or to come up alongside someone. The original picture is physical: approaching a person from the side, close enough to speak. English later used the verb mainly for confronting or stopping someone, sometimes aggressively, which is why the verb can sound hostile today. The noun "accoster" is simply that verb with the agent suffix "-er," so it names a person who does the approaching. Its meaning has stayed close to the verb's neutral sense: someone who walks up to strangers to start a conversation, often without warning. The word therefore keeps the Latin image of drawing alongside, while the harsher connotations of the verb have largely dropped out of the noun.

Synonyms: approacher, interlocutor, challenger, greet-er, confronter