What does "prevent" mean?
Prevent: 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.
Additional senses
- 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.
- 4.To come before the usual time. [Obs.] Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early. Bacon.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00