forestall
- forestall
-
transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from forstall act of waylaying, from Old English foresteall, from fore- + steall position, stall
Date: before 12th century
1. to prevent the normal trading in by buying or diverting goods or by persuading persons to raise prices
2. archaic intercept
3. obsolete obstruct, beset
4. to exclude, hinder, or prevent by prior occupation or measures
5. to get ahead of ; anticipate
Synonyms: see prevent
• forestaller noun
• forestallment noun
New Collegiate Dictionary.
2001.
Synonyms:
Look at other dictionaries:
Forestall — Fore*stall , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Forestalled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Forestalling}.] [OE. forstallen to stop, to obstruct; to stop (goods) on the way to the market by buying them beforehand, from forstal obstruction, AS. forsteal, foresteall, prop.,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
forestall — I verb act in advance, antevertere, anticipate, arrest, avert, avoid, await, be armed, be forewarned, bring to a standstill, cancel, censor, check, counteract, deter, disallow, enjoin, estop, filibuster, forbid, forfend, frustrate, halt, hinder,… … Law dictionary
forestall — (v.) late 14c. (implied in forestalling), to lie in wait for; also to intercept goods before they reach public markets and buy them privately (formerly a crime; mid 14c. in this sense in Anglo French), from O.E. noun foresteall intervention,… … Etymology dictionary
forestall — *prevent, anticipate Analogous words: ward, avert, *prevent, preclude, obviate: *frustrate, thwart, foil, circumvent Contrasted words: court, woo, *invite: further, forward, *advance, promote … New Dictionary of Synonyms
forestall — ► VERB 1) prevent or obstruct (something anticipated) by taking advance action. 2) anticipate and prevent the action of. DERIVATIVES forestaller noun forestalment noun. ORIGIN from Old English, «an ambush» … English terms dictionary
forestall — [fôr stôl′] vt. [ME forestallen < forestal, ambush < OE foresteall: see FORE & STALL2] 1. to prevent or hinder by doing something ahead of time 2. to act in advance of; get ahead of; anticipate 3. to interfere with the trading in (a market) … English World dictionary
forestall — UK [fɔː(r)ˈstɔːl] / US [fɔrˈstɔl] verb [transitive] Word forms forestall : present tense I/you/we/they forestall he/she/it forestalls present participle forestalling past tense forestalled past participle forestalled to prevent something from… … English dictionary
forestall — [[t]fɔː(r)stɔ͟ːl[/t]] forestalls, forestalling, forestalled VERB If you forestall someone, you realize what they are likely to do and prevent them from doing it. [V n] O Leary made to open the door, but Bunbury forestalled him by laying a hand on … English dictionary
forestall — forestaller, n. forestallment, forestalment, n. /fohr stawl , fawr /, v.t. 1. to prevent, hinder, or thwart by action in advance: to forestall a riot by deploying police. 2. to act beforehand with or get ahead of; anticipate. 3. to buy up (goods) … Universalium
forestall — verb Forestall is used with these nouns as the object: ↑criticism … Collocations dictionary
forestall — fore|stall [fo:ˈsto:l US fo:rˈsto:l] v [T] formal [: Old English; Origin: foresteallan to put in front, ambush ] to prevent something from happening or prevent someone from doing something by doing something first ▪ a measure intended to… … Dictionary of contemporary English