Verb

(head)

(obviate)

Verb

(obviat)

To bypass a requirement or make it unnecessary; to avoid a future problem or difficult situation.

They saved enough money for their purchase and obviated the need to borrow.

* 1826', Richard Reece, ''A Practical Dissertation on the Means of '''Obviating & Treating the Varieties of Costiveness , page 181:

A mild dose of a warm active aperient to obviate costiveness, or to produce two motions daily, is generally very beneficial.

* 2004 , David J. Anderson, Agile Management for Software Engineering , page 180:

Some change requests, rather than extend the scope, obviate some of the existing scope of a project.

* 2008 , William S. Kroger, Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: In Medicine, Dentistry, and Psychology , page 163:

Thus, to obviate resistance, the discussion should be relevant to the patient?s problems.

Verb

(head)

(prevent)

Verb

(en verb)

To stop; to keep (from happening).

I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Tom Fordyce , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history.}}

* 1897 , Henry James, What Maisie Knew :

‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent !’

(obsolete) To come before; to precede.

* Bible, 1 Thess. iv. 15

We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

* Book of Common Prayer

We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.

* Prior

Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.

(obsolete) To outdo, surpass.

* 1596 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , IV.i:

With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.

(obsolete) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.

* Alexander Pope

their ready guilt preventing thy commands