▪ I. advert, v.
(ædˈvɜːt)
Also 4–6 auerte, avert(e.
[a. Fr. avert-ir:—late L. advertē-re for cl. L. advertĕre to turn to, also (sc. animum) to turn the attention of oneself or another to, to remark, admonish; f. ad to + vertĕre to turn. L. āvertere to turn away, avert, also made OFr. avertir, which had thus all the senses ‘turn to, turn away, remark, call attention.’ In 14–16th c. avertir, when answering to L. advertere, was often written advertir; and, since Caxton, advert and avert have been distinguished in Eng. Mod.Fr. has avertir (Palsg. and Cotgr. advertir) only in the sense of ‘call the attention of another, admonish’ (one of the senses of L. advertere). The lengthened stem of this, a(d)vertiss-, has given Eng. advertise, orig. a synonym of advert, but subseq. differentiated, so that advert retains the sense of ‘turn one's own attention,’ advertise that of ‘direct the attention of others.’ Advert, advertise, avert, are thus all immediately from OFr. avertir, avertiss-ant.]
† 1. trans. To turn towards (lit. or fig.); to turn favourably. Obs. rare.
| a 1423 James I King's Quair ii. vi, Till Jupiter his merci list advert And send comfort. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas ii. xxviii (1554) 64 a, Beastes which ben rage of theyr nature He can aduert and make them lye full styll. |
2. intr. To turn one's attention; to take notice, take heed, attend, pay attention. (L. animum advertere.) Const. to (absol., subord. clause, on obs.). arch. = advertise 1.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. ii, In so slye wyse that no man myght auerte Upon no syde but that he mente well. 1509 Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 42 Thinking that God doth not therto aduert. 1530 Palsgr. 440 Nowe, my yonge chyldren, if you wyl avert, you shal have the frenche tonge moch more easely than men had afore your dayes. a 1535 W. de Worde Communycacyon B iij, Lorde whan I on thy pouerte aduerte. 1557 Barclay Jugurthe (Paynell) b ij. b, Micipsa aduertynge that Jugurth was redy of hande to strike. 1755 B. Martin Mag. Arts & Sc. 328 We shall find it our Interest to advert on the different Degrees of the Moisture and Dryness of the Air. 1790 Boswell Johnson (1816) IV. 133 They do not advert that the great body of the Christian Church..maintain also the Unity of the Godhead. 1806 Wellington in Wellesley Desp. 92 The British government were compelled to advert to the means of strengthening the government of the Nizam. 1875 Poste Gaius (ed. 2) Introd., 14 Negligence is inadvertence to consequences to which a man might have adverted. |
3. esp. To turn one's attention in a discourse written or spoken; to refer to.
| 1777 Priestley Phil. Necess. 179, I shall now advert to some other matters. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne vi. 172 Mauriceau adverts to the circumstance, in his attack on the Cæsarian operation. 1861 May Constit. Hist. Eng. (1863) I. iii. 169 The king's illness was adverted to in the House of Commons. |
† 4. trans. To turn the attention to, attend to, take note of; to observe, note, notice, or heed; to consider, think of (a thing). Obs. = advertise 2.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. iii, He nought advertith the menyng fraudulent. 1432–50 tr. Higden Rolls Ser. I. 361 Hit is to be aduertede that the extremites of the worlde schyne in newe wondres. 1470 Harding Chron. civ, Egberte..was royally accepte, With all honour y{supt} [the lordes could] aduert. 1557 Barclay Jugurthe (Paynell) a iij. b, Yf we aduert the worlde as it is. 1655 Sanderson Serm. II. Pref., Frailties and infirmities..not hitherto by them adverted, because never suspected. 1692 Wagstaffe Vind. Carol. Introd. 12 If he had any fault, it was his not timely adverting his Father's dear bought experience. |
† 5. trans. To turn the attention of another to, to give warning of. Obs. rare. See advertise 5.
| 1513 Douglas æneis iii. x. 113 Quhen horrybil thingis sere he dyd aduert. |
¶ Incorrectly for avert. [See above.]
| 1578 Ps. li. in Sc. Poems of 16th c. II. 115 Fra my sinnes advert thy face. |
▪ II. advert
(ˈædvɜːt)
colloq. abbrev. of advertisement. Cf. ad.
| 1860 J. Blackwood Let. 6 Jan. in Lett. George Eliot (1954) III. 244, I do not mean this for announcement in the advert, but that we may consider [etc.]. 1954 J. B. Priestley Magicians vi. 120, I don't know what you're going to put in the adverts—the usual bilge, I suppose. 1955 ‘R. Gordon’ Dr. at Large iii. 41 ‘Those vacancies are already filled.’ ‘But the advert. only came out yesterday!’ |