To keep from happening; avert, To anticipate or counter in advance, obsolete To come before the usual time, transitive verb_ obsolete To go before; to precede; hence, to go before as a guide; to direct, To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart, obsolete To be beforehand with; to anticipate, verb_ keep from happening or arising; make impossible, stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state