forestall
pronunciation
How to pronounce forestall in British English:
UK [fɔːˈstɔːl]
How to pronounce forestall in American English:
US [fɔːrˈstɔːl]
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- Verb:
- keep from happening or arising; have the effect of preventing
- act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
Word Origin
- 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," which formerly was a crime (mid-14c. in this sense in Anglo-French), from Old English noun foresteall "intervention, hindrance (of justice); an ambush, a waylaying," literally "a standing before (someone)," from fore- "before" + steall "standing position" (see stall (n.1)). Modern sense of "to anticipate and delay" is from 1580s. Related: Forestalled; forestalling.
Example
- 1. However , stronger actions are needed to forestall disaster .
- 2. The injection of nitrogen would keep the pressure inside the containment vessel from falling and therefore forestall an explosion .
- 3. There 's just one way google can forestall this eventuality and triumph in the handset market .
- 4. Perhaps the most striking brain research today is the strong evidence we now have that " exercise may forestall some kinds of mental decline , " notes mcdaniel .
- 5. Mr. muhammad then corroborated mr. williams 's account of telling dr. murray that the police had confiscated their car keys , in order to forestall his request for a ride back to the house .