avert, v.
(əˈvət)
Also 6 advert.
[a. OF. avert-ir:—late L. āvertēre, for cl. L. āvertĕre to turn away or aside, f. ā- = ab- from + vertĕre to turn. OF. avertir represented both L. āvertĕre and advertĕre, whence avert in ME. also = advert, which see for the eventual differentiation of the forms and senses.]
1. trans. To turn away: † a. a thing. Obs.
| a 1400 Cov. Myst. 88 Mayde most mercyfulle..A verte of[f] the anguysche that Adam began. |
b. a person from a place, thing, or course of action; to draw away, withdraw. arch.
| c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (1878) 66 To averte and deflect him from this enterprise. 1674 tr. Scheffer's Lapland xxvi. 122 The Priests avert them from so doing. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 239 Mighty Cæsar, whose victorious Arms..Avert unwarlike Indians from his Rome. 1862 Trollope Orley F. xv, How fatal it might be to avert her father from the cause while the trial was still pending. |
† c. fig. To turn away in mind or inclination; to alienate, estrange. Obs. or arch.
| 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 607/2 Saynte Peter was once from God auerted, and sinnefully turned away. 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. iv. xii. §6 For fear of averting them from the Christian faith. 1633 Primer Virg. Mary 258 Pilate..said to them, you haue presented vnto me this man, as auerting the people. 1877 [see averted]. |
† 2. refl. To turn oneself away. Obs.
| 1541 Barnes Wks. (1573) 360/1 Hee that doth beleeue, and auerte hym selfe from hys sinnes. |
3. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To turn away. arch. or Obs.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 73/1 Yf ye auert and torne fro me. 1607 Topsell Serpents 754 To hate and avert from that which is evill. 1805 Southey Madoc in Azt. xii, And from that hideous man Averting, to Ocellopan he turn'd. |
4. trans. To turn away (the face, eyes, thoughts).
| 1578 Ps. li. in Sc. Poems 16thc. II. 115 Fra my sinnes advert thy face. 1605 Shakes. Lear i. i. 214 Therefore beseech you T' auert your liking a more worthier way. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 108 Till God at last..withdraw His presence..and avert His holy Eyes. 1837 Whewell Hist. Induct. Sci. (1857) I. 195 The thoughts were thus intentionally averted from those ideas. |
5. To turn away anything about to befall, esp. things threatened or feared; to prevent the incidence or occurrence of; to ward off.
| 1612 Warner Alb. Eng. i. v. 17 And so auert our ire. 1686 Dryden Hind. & P. iii. 872 Avert it Heaven! nor let that plague be sent. 1791 Cowper Iliad vi. 20 None interposed To avert his woeful doom. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 201 Any expedient which might avert the danger. |
† 6. To oppose; to view with aversion. Obs.
| 1635 D. Person Varieties ii. iv. 62 Our moderne astronomers, averting this Aristotelian opinion, have found, etc. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. iii. 8 Averting the errors of Reason. 1667 Decay Chr. Piety vi. §9. 251 The nature of mankind doth certainly avert both killing and being kill'd. |
¶ catachr. for evert and revert.
| 1533 Bellendene Livy (1822) 334 His hous and biggingis..suld be avertit and cassin doun to the ground. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, xxix, Landes..shall..be descendable, remaine, auert, come, and be inheritable. |