FORESTALL • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Forestall

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/fɔrstˈɔl/ Listen

verb

Forestall v. t. (past & past part. forestalled; pres. part. forestalling)

1.

To take beforehand, or in advance; to anticipate. "What need a man forestall his date of grief, And run to meet what he would most avoid?"

2.

To take possession of, in advance of some one or something else, to the exclusion or detriment of the latter; to get ahead of; to preoccupy; also, to exclude, hinder, or prevent, by prior occupation, or by measures taken in advance. "An ugly serpent which forestalled their way." "But evermore those damsels did forestall Their furious encounter." "To be forestalled ere we come to fall." "Habit is a forestalled and obstinate judge."

3.

To deprive; with of. (R.) "All the better; may This night forestall him of the coming day!"

4.

(Eng. Law) To obstruct or stop up, as a way; to stop the passage of on highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.

To forestall the market, to buy or contract for merchandise or provision on its way to market, with the intention of selling it again at a higher price; to dissuade persons from bringing their goods or provisions there; or to persuade them to enhance the price when there. This was an offense at law in England until 1844.

Synonyms: To anticipate; monopolize; engross.

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Etymology of 'Forestall'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Forestall" Quotes from Famous Books

... you for the reason that I have already found a strong disposition in some sections of the country to forestall the action of the general government by bringing these subjects more or less directly under the control of the local courts; and I have neither the authority nor the disposition to establish precedents that may possibly embarrass the future action ...

— Report on the Condition of the South • Carl Schurz

... cremation which he had given. Leaving the office at about five in the morning he first visited Meyers, thence proceeded to his own boarding-house, and from there went to the apartments, which he reached at eight o'clock. Here he found the detectives who had been on guard since early morning to forestall any attempt to ...

— True Stories of Crime From the District Attorney's Office • Arthur Train

... of cowardlinesse; who having nothing of any worth in themselves to make show of, will yet under the countenance of others sufficiencie goe about to make a faire offer: Moreover (oh great foolishnesse) to seek by such cosening [Footnote: Cheating.] tricks to forestall the ignorant approbation of the common sort, nothing fearing to discover their ignorance to men of understanding (whose praise only is of value) who will soone trace out such borrowed ware. As for me, there is nothing I will doe lesse. I never ...

— Literary and Philosophical Essays • Various

... Metford were seated beside each other. An empty chair was on Miss Metford's right. She saw me standing at the door and nodded toward the empty seat which she had reserved for me. When I reached it she made a movement as if to forestall me and leave me the middle chair. I deprecated this by a look which was intentionally so severe that she described it later as a ...

— The Crack of Doom • Robert Cromie

... young man, talk not of vengeance here; This sleep shall pass and shame your blood-hot words— If it pass'd not the vengeance were forestall'd. ...

— Poems • Walter R. Cassels

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