[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

prevent \prevent"\, 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.
      1913 webster

            we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
            lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. --1
                                                  thess. iv. 15.
      1913 webster

            we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and
            follow us.                            --bk. of
                                                  common prayer.
      1913 webster

            then had i come, preventing sheba's queen. --prior.
      1913 webster

   2. to be beforehand with; to anticipate. obs.
      1913 webster

            their ready guilt preventing thy commands. --pope.
      1913 webster

   3. to intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart.
      "this vile purpose to prevent." --shak.
      1913 webster

            perhaps forestalling night prevented them. --milton.
      1913 webster
see also:
prevented preventing come 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

prevent \prevent"\, v. i.
   to come before the usual time. obs.
   1913 webster

         strawberries . . . will prevent and come early.
                                                  --bacon.
   1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

prevent
     v 1: keep from happening or arising; have the effect of
          preventing; "my sense of tact forbids an honest answer"
          syn: forestall, foreclose, preclude, forbid
     2: prevent 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: keep ant: let
see also:
forestall foreclose preclude forbid keep let 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

69 moby thesaurus words for "prevent":
   abort, anticipate, arrest, avert, avoid, baffle, balk, ban, bar,
   block, check, control, curb, dam, debar, deflect, delay, deny,
   deter, disallow, discourage, dishearten, embargo, enjoin, estop,
   exclude, exclude from, fend, fend off, foil, forbid, foreclose,
   forestall, frustrate, hamper, help, hinder, impede, inhibit,
   intercept, interdict, interrupt, keep from, keep off, mitigate,
   obstruct, obviate, outlaw, preclude, prohibit, proscribe, refuse,
   reject, repel, repress, restrain, retard, rule out, save,
   say no to, shut out, slow, stave off, suppress, taboo, thwart,
   turn aside, ward, ward off

Prevent >> P Words
Prevent, definition of term: Prevent
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