Adjacent Words

Forefend definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOREFEND', v.t.
1. To hinder; to fend off; to avert; to prevent approach; to forbid or prohibit.
2. To defend; to guard; to secure.
This word, like the L. arceo, is applied to the thing assailing, and to the thing assailed. To drive back or resist that which assails, is to hinder its approach, to forbid or avert, and this act defends the thing threatened or assailed.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike" [syn: debar, forefend, forfend, obviate, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, avoid, ward off]

Merriam Webster's

variant of forfend

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Forefend Fore*fend", v. t. [OE. forfenden; pref. for- + fenden to fend. See Fend, v. t.] To hinder; to fend off; to avert; to prevent the approach of; to forbid or prohibit. See Forfend. God forefend it should ever be recorded in our history. --Landor. It would be a far better work . . . to forefend the cruelty. --I. Taylor.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Avert, prevent, hinder, forbid, ward off, keep off.