forestall
Use Forestall in a sentence
verb (used with object)
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) in advance in order to increase the price when resold.
4.
to prevent sales at (a fair, market, etc.) by buying up or diverting goods.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English forstallen, verbal derivative of forstalle, Old English foresteall intervention (to defeat justice), waylaying. See fore-, stall2
1350–1400; Middle English forstallen, verbal derivative of forstalle, Old English foresteall intervention (to defeat justice), waylaying. See fore-, stall2
Related forms
fore·stall·er, noun
fore·stall·ment, forestal·ment, noun
un·fore·stalled, adjective
Synonyms
1. preclude, obviate, intercept, obstruct. 2. prevent, avert.
1. preclude, obviate, intercept, obstruct. 2. prevent, avert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To forestall
00:10
Forestall
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is relegate. Does it mean:
| to reprove or find fault with; rebuke; censure; blame. |
| To send or consign assign to an inferior position, place, or condition: |
Collins
World English Dictionary
forestall (fɔːˈstɔːl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to delay, stop, or guard against beforehand |
| 2. | to anticipate |
| 3. | a. to prevent or hinder sales at (a market, etc) by buying up merchandise in advance, etc |
| b. Compare corner to buy up (merchandise) for profitable resale | |
| [C14 forestallen to waylay, from Old English foresteall an ambush, from fore- in front of + steall place] | |
| fore'staller | |
| —n | |
| fore'stalment | |
| —n | |
| fore'stallment | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
forestall
O.E. foresteall "an ambush, a waylaying," from fore "before" + steall "standing position" (see stall (1)). Modern sense of "to anticipate and delay" is from 1580s. Related: Forestalled; forestalling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Only braver, more aggressive reformist leadership will forestall that day and keep the current elite on top.
One way to forestall such a crash is to breed plants that are resistant to infection.
Federal authorities moved quickly to forestall any challenges to the succession.
Some want restrictions to cut population growth and forestall ecological catastrophe.
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