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a·vert

(ə-vûrt)

tr.v. a·vert·ed, a·vert·ing, a·verts

1. To turn away: avert one's eyes.

2. To keep from happening; prevent: averted an accident by turning sharply. See Synonyms at prevent.

[Middle English averten, from Old French avertir, from Latin āvertere : ā-, ab-, away from; see AB-¹ + vertere, to turn; see wer-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

a·verti·ble, a·verta·ble adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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