Wiktionary

avert

See also: avért

English

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Etymology

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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

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Verb

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avert (third-person singular simple present averts, present participle averting, simple past and past participle averted)

  1. (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:
      When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.
  2. (transitive) To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.
    Synonym: forestall
    How can the danger be averted?
    • 1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700:
      Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.
  3. (intransitive, archaic) To turn away.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  • “avert”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

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Lombard

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Etymology

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Akin to aperto, from Latin apertus. Compare French ouvert.

Adjective

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avert

  1. open (not closed)

Romansch

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin apertus.

Adjective

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avert m (feminine singular averta, masculine plural averts, feminine plural avertas)

  1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Surmiran, Vallader) open
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