avoid
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-Norman avoider, Old French esvuidier (“to empty out”), from es- + vuidier, from Latin viduare (“to empty”), from viduus (“empty”); see void.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
avoid (third-person singular simple present avoids, present participle avoiding, simple past and past participle avoided)
- (transitive) To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor not to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
- 1526, Bible, tr. William Tyndale, Matthew 4:
- The devyll [...] sayde unto hym: all these will I geve the, iff thou wilt faull doune and worship me. Then sayde Jesus unto hym. Avoyde Satan.
- 1526, Bible, tr. William Tyndale, Matthew 4:
- (transitive, obsolete) To make empty; to clear.
- (transitive, now, law) To make void, to annul; to refute (especially a contract).
- (transitive, law) To defeat or evade; to invalidate. Thus, in a replication, the plaintiff may deny the defendant's plea, or confess it, and avoid it by stating new matter.
- (transitive, obsolete) To emit or throw out; to void; as, to avoid excretions.
- (transitive, obsolete) To leave, evacuate; to leave as empty, to withdraw or come away from.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:
- And therewith anone cam another knyght of the castell; and he was smyttyn so sore that he avoyded hys sadyll.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:
- (transitive) (obsolete) To get rid of.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To retire; to withdraw, depart, go away.
- (intransitive) (obsolete) To become void or vacant.
[edit] Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to keep away from
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(law) To defeat or evade; to invalidate
[edit] External links
- avoid at OneLook Dictionary Search
