prevent
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
prevent/prɪˈvent/
▶verb
- 1 keep from happening or arising.
■ make unable to do something.
- 2 archaic (of God) go before (someone) with spiritual guidance and help.
– derivatives
preventability noun,
preventable (also preventible) adjective,
prevention noun.
preventability noun,
preventable (also preventible) adjective,
prevention noun.
– origin ME: from L. praevent-, praevenire ‘precede, hinder’, from prae ‘before’ + venire ‘come’.
'prevent' also found in these Oxford entries:
allopurinol
- alpha blocker
- amethyst
- ancient lights
- antifouling
- anti-infective
- anti-lock
- antimalarial
- antiperspirant
- antipyretic
- antiterrorism
- aperiodic
- avert
- avoid
- baffle
- ball and chain
- bar
- barrage
- bay
- bilge keel
- blackout
- blind trust
- blinker
- block
- blockade
- bollard
- bouncer
- cauterize
- chastity belt
- check valve
- childproof
- chock
- choke
- Chubb
- clamp
- clean
- cleat
- coastguard
- combat
- company
- conceal
- concede
- conserve
- contain
- contraception
- contraceptive
- control
- cordon
- cordon sanitaire
- counter-espionage
