prevene, v. Chiefly Sc. Now rare or Obs.
(prɪˈviːn)
Also 6 preuine, -veynne, prævene, prauein(e, 7 preveen(e, -w(e)ine.
[ad. L. prævenīre to come before, precede, anticipate, hinder, excel, f. præ, pre- A. + venīre to come. So F. prévenir (1539 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
† 1. trans. To take action before or in anticipation of (a person or thing). a. To anticipate, take precautions against (a danger, evil, etc.); hence, to prevent, frustrate, evade. Obs.
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 270 Na man..suld byde his dede, seand it cum till him; bot he suld prevene it, and he mycht. And sen a man seis his fa cum to geve him mortall woundis..he wald..prevene the strakis. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. xvi. (S.T.S.) II. 13 Be my calamyte ȝe may eschew or ellis prevene siclike displeseris in tymes cummyng. 1578 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 12 Gif thair treasonabill interprysis be not..spedilie prevenit. 1650 Earl of Monmouth tr. Senault's Man bec. Guilty 329 His justice doth never through punishments prevene our sins. a 1657 Balfour Ann. Scotl. (1824–5) II. 54 Mischieffe..wiche the Lordes of priuey counsaill wyssly preweined. 1678 Sir G. Mackenzie Crim. Laws Scot. ii. xxix. §2 (1699) 276 That the Crime committed, may be punished, to preveen the Errour of others. |
† b. To act before or more quickly than (a person or thing); hence, to forestall, supplant; also absol. to intervene. Obs.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xlvii. 70, I salbe als weill luvit agane, Thair may no jangler me prevene. 1600 Jas. VI in Lett. Jas. & Eliz. (Camden) 132 In this office of kyndnes touardis me, ye haue farre praueined all other kings my confederatis. 1650 Earl of Monmouth tr. Senault's Man bec. Guilty 73 When the Pagans were surprized with any danger, and that instinct did in them prevene reasoning, they implor'd the succour of the true God. 1708 J. Philips Cyder i. 43 If thy indulgent Care Had not preven'd, among unbody'd Shades I now had wander'd. |
† c. Theol. = prevent v. 4, 4 b. Used esp. in reference to prevenient grace: see prevenient 2.
| 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 220 The beginning of iustification in men of perfect aige mon be tain of the grace of God prævening tham through Iesus Christ. 1600 Hamilton Facile Traictise in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.) 223 Saue our king, o lord, preuine him in the blissings of your sueitnes. [Cf. Ps. xxi. 3.] 1633 W. Struther True Happines 47 All these works of the Soul neither breed in us, neither begin at us, but he preveeneth us in them all. 1662 A. Petrie Ch. Hist. i. iii. §2. 28 Our good things are both God's and ours, because he preveeneth us by inspiring that we do will. |
† d. Sc. Law. Of a court or judge: To take from (another) the preferable right of jurisdiction, by exercising the first judicial act. Obs.
| 1678 Sir G. Mackenzie Crim. Laws Scot. ii. ii. §5 (1699) 182 Where many Judges are competent, they may preveen one another, and prevention is defyned to be anticipatio sive præoccupatio usus jurisdictionis. |
† 2. To take in advance. a. To preoccupy, prepossess. Obs. rare—1.
| 1513 Douglas æneis i. xi. 55 Bot he [Cupid]..Can [= gan] her dolf spreit for to prevene and steir, Had bene disvsit fra luif that mony ȝeir. |
† b. Of death, etc.: To overtake prematurely.
| 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 165 Thocht pest, or sword wald vs preuene, Befoir our hour, to slay vs clene. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ii. 158 Bot this capitane is preueined in Camelodune w{supt} deith in few dayes. |
† c. To anticipate (a time) by earlier action; to provide beforehand for (a coming event). Obs.
| 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xii. 150 Best wer, I think, mycht we preuene ȝone day. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 397 The Scottis prevenit the tyme and past fourtht at midnight to the fieldis. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ix. 261 He oft vset to preueine materis of waicht with a sad counsell and graue,..preueining the tyme to cum, with Judgement incredible. |
3. In lit. sense of the Latin: To come or go before; to precede. rare.
| 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. x. 455 Preueineng al the rest, [he] landis in Scotland the first of Maii. 1869 Holland Kathrina ii. 107 Till our poor race has passed the tortuous years That lie prevening the millennium. |
Hence preˈvening vbl. n., anticipation; ppl. a., prevenient.
| 1633 W. Struther True Happines 28 In Spiritual things we must ascend from gifts to grace, and in grace..from a preveening to an exciting grace. 1662 A. Petrie Ch. Hist. i. iii. §2. 28 By preveening grace and good will following, that which is the gift of God, becomes our work. 1678 Sir G. Mackenzie Crim. Laws Scot. i. xxi. §2 (1699) 111 If it could have been proved that the wrong was done immediatly without any preveening provocation. |