- 1
To forestall is to stop something from happening, or stop someone from doing something, by acting first. You forestall an argument by naming the sore point early. A shop might forestall a shortage by ordering extra. It is a little formal; in speech people often say “head off,” “get ahead of,” or “stop it before it starts.” Though actually, the old idea was not a forest at all. It was standing in the way: taking the stall — the place — in front of someone, like blocking the road or grabbing the goods before they reached the market. The noun is rare now; you will almost always meet the verb.
預先阻止；搶先一步堵住
組成From Middle English forestallen, from Old English foresteall (“intervention, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”), equivalent to fore- + stall.
同家族的字
- stallthe second half: originally a standing place or position, so to get there first
原始詞典資料8 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
forestallverb詞源 1/fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/
- 1
To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.
- Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.
- The Act of 1846 also authorised a branch from the village of Broughty Ferry on the D. & A. to the pier at Broughty Ferry Castle. This action was taken to forestall the Edinburgh & Northern Railway, which had acquired the ferry between Ferryport-on-Craig (Tayport from July, 1851) and Broughty Ferry, and had hopes of a connecting railway on the north side of the Tay.
- 2
To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.
- In French, an aspired h forestalls elision.
- 3
archaicTo purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.
- 4
To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.
- What need a man forestall his date of grief, / And run to meet what he would most avoid?
- She insisted on doing her share of the offices needful to the sick. She arranged his bed so that it was possible to change the sheet without disturbing him. She washed him. […] She did not speak to him much, but she was quick to forestall his wants.
- 5
To deprive (with of).
- All the better; may / This night forestall him of the coming day!
- 6
lawTo obstruct or stop up, as a road; to stop the passage of a highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.
forestallnoun詞源 2/ˈfɔː(ɹ).stɔːl/
- 1
obsoletehistoricalAn ambush; plot; an interception; waylaying; rescue.
- 2
Something situated or placed in front.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。