avert
See also: avért
English
Etymology
From Middle English averten, adverten, from Old French avertir (“turn, direct, avert; turn the attention, make aware”), from Latin āvertere, present active infinitive of āvertō, from ab + vertō (“to turn”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈvɜːt/
Audio (UK) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /əˈvɝt/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t
Verb
avert (third-person singular simple present averts, present participle averting, simple past and past participle averted)
- (transitive) To turn aside or away.
- I averted my eyes while my friend typed in her password.
- 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Unity in Religion”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, OCLC 863521290:
- When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.
- (transitive) To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.
- How can the danger be averted?
- Synonym: forestall
- 1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700
- Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.
- (intransitive, archaic) To turn away.
- 1728, James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, OCLC 642619686:
- Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.
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Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:hinder
Derived terms
- averter (agent noun: epicene or masculine)
- avertress (agent noun: feminine)
Translations
to turn aside
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to ward off
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References
- avert at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- Trave, tarve, trave
Lombard
Etymology
Akin to aperto, from Latin apertus. Compare French ouvert.
Adjective
avert
- open (not closed)
Romansch
Alternative forms
- aviert (Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Puter)
Etymology
From Latin apertus.
Adjective
avert m (feminine singular averta, masculine plural averts, feminine plural avertas)
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Surmiran, Vallader) open
Related terms
- avrir