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caveat

 - 4 dictionary results

ca⋅ve⋅at

  [kav-ee-aht, -at, kah-vee-, key-]
Use caveat in a Sentence
–noun
1. a warning or caution; admonition.
2. Law. a legal notice to a court or public officer to suspend a certain proceeding until the notifier is given a hearing: a caveat filed against the probate of a will.
Origin:
< L: let him beware, 3rd person sing. pres. subj. of cavēre to take care; see caution
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To caveat
ca·ve·at   (kāv'ē-ät', kä'vē-, kā'vē-āt')   
n.  

    1. A warning or caution: "A final caveat: Most experts feel that clients get unsatisfactory results when they don't specify clearly what they want" (Savvy).

    2. A qualification or explanation.

  2. Law A formal notice filed by an interested party with a court or officer, requesting the postponement of a proceeding until the filer is heard.

v.   ca·ve·at·ed or ca·ve·at·ted, ca·ve·at·ing or ca·ve·at·ting, ca·ve·ats

v.   intr. Law
To enter a caveat.
v.   tr. Informal
To qualify with a warning or clarification: The spokesperson caveated the statement with a reminder that certain facts were still unknown.

[From Latin, let him beware, third person sing. present subjunctive of cavēre, to beware.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

caveat 
1549, from L. "let him beware," 3rd pers. sing. pres. subjunctive of cavere "to beware, take heed, watch, guard against," from PIE base *skeue- "to pay attention, perceive" (cf. Skt. kavih "wise, sage, seer, poet;" Lith. kavoti "tend, safeguard;" Arm. cucanem "I show;" L. cautio "wariness;" Gk. koein "to mark, perceive, hear," kydos "glory, fame," lit. "that which is heard of;" O.C.S. chujo "to feel, perceive, hear," cudo "wonder," lit. "that which is heard of;" Czech (z)koumati "to perceive, be aware of;" Serbian chuvati "watch, heed;" O.E. sceawian "to look at;" M.Du. schoon "beautiful, bright," prop. "showy;" Goth. hausjan "hear"). Phrase caveat emptor "let the buyer beware," was in Eng. 1523.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ca·ve·at
Pronunciation: 'ka-vE-"ät, -"at; 'kä-vE-"ät, 'kA-vE-"at
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, may he/she beware
1 a : a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices b : an explanation to prevent a misinterpretation
2 : a notice to a court or judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition can be heard caveat entered in the probate court to stop the proving of the will> —caveat verb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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