From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
prevent
v 1: keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense
of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the
projects precludes your involvement in the competitive
project" [syn: prevent, forestall, foreclose,
preclude, forbid]
2: stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in
a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading";
"His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child
from eating the marbles" [syn: prevent, keep] [ant:
allow, let, permit]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.]
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We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. --1
Thess. iv. 15.
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We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and
follow us. --Bk. of
Common Prayer.
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Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen. --Prior.
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2. To be beforehand with; to anticipate. [Obs.]
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Their ready guilt preventing thy commands. --Pope.
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3. To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart.
"This vile purpose to prevent." --Shak.
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Perhaps forestalling night prevented them. --Milton.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Prevent \Pre*vent"\, v. i.
To come before the usual time. [Obs.]
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Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early.
--Bacon.
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