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. Prevent
(Pre*vent"), v. i. To come before the usual time. [Obs.]
Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early.
Bacon. Preventability
(Pre*vent`a*bil"i*ty) n. The quality or state of being preventable.
Preventable
(Pre*vent"a*ble) a. Capable of being prevented or hindered; as, preventable diseases.
Preventative
(Pre*vent"a*tive) n. That which prevents; — incorrectly used instead of preventive.
Preventer
(Pre*vent"er) n.
1. One who goes before; one who forestalls or anticipates another. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. One who prevents or obstructs; a hinderer; that which hinders; as, a preventer of evils or of disease.
3. (Naut.) An auxiliary rope to strengthen a mast.
Preventer bolts, or Preventer plates (Naut.), fixtures connected with preventers to reënforce other
rigging. — Preventer stay. (Naut.) Same as Preventer, 3.
Preventingly
(Pre*vent"ing*ly), adv. So as to prevent or hinder.
Prevention
(Pre*ven"tion) n. [Cf. F. prévention.]
1. The act of going, or state of being, before. [Obs.]
The greater the distance, the greater the prevention.
Bacon. 2. Anticipation; esp., anticipation of needs or wishes; hence, precaution; forethought. [Obs.] Hammond.
Shak.
3. The act of preventing or hindering; obstruction of action, access, or approach; thwarting. South.
Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Shak. 4. Prejudice; prepossession. [A Gallicism] Dryden.
Preventional
(Pre*ven"tion*al) a. Tending to prevent. [Obs.]
Preventive
(Pre*vent"ive) a. [Cf. F. préventif.]
1. Going before; preceding. [Obs.]
Any previous counsel or preventive understanding.
Cudworth. 2. Tending to defeat or hinder; obviating; preventing the access of; as, a medicine preventive of disease.
Physic is either curative or preventive.
Sir T. Browne.
