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prevent |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Prevent \Pre*vent"\, v. i. To come before the usual time. [Obs.] Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early. --Bacon. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Prevent \Pre*vent"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Prevented}; p. pr & vb n. {Preventing}.] [L. praevenire praeventum prae before + venire to come See {Come}.] 1. To go before to precede; hence to go before as a guide; to direct. [Obs.] We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. --1 Thess. iv 15. We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us --Bk. of Common Prayer. Then had I come preventing Sheba's queen. --Prior. 2. To be beforehand with to anticipate. [Obs.] Their ready guilt preventing thy commands. --Pope. 3. To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart. ``This vile purpose to prevent.'' --Shak. Perhaps forestalling night prevented them --Milton. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: prevent v 1: keep from happening of arising; have the effect of preventing; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer" [syn: {forestall}, {foreclose}, {preclude}, {forbid}] 2: prevent from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading" [syn: {keep}] [ant: {let}]
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