different between prevent vs derail

English

Alternative forms

• prævent (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveni? (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veni? (“I come”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???v?nt/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /p???v?nt/
• Rhymes: -?nt
• Hyphenation: pre?vent

Verb

prevent (third-person singular simple present prevents, present participle preventing, simple past and past participle prevented)

1. (transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something). [from 16th c.]

   I brush my teeth regularly to prevent them from turning yellow.
2. (intransitive, now rare) To take preventative measures. [from 16th c.]
   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew

     ‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent!’

3. (obsolete, transitive) To come before; to precede. [16th-18th c.]

   • We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

   • 1928, Book of Common Prayer

     We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.

   • 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure

     Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.

4. (obsolete, transitive) To outdo, surpass. [16th-17th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.i:

     With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.

5. (obsolete, transitive) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:hinder

Derived terms

• prevent defense
• preventative
• prevention
• preventive

Translations

References

• prevent at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

From French dérailler (“to go off the rails”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d???e?l/, /?di???e?l/
• Rhymes: -e?l

Noun

derail (plural derails)

1. A device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.

   The derail was placed deliberately so that the train would fall into the river.

2. An instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic.

Verb

derail (third-person singular simple present derails, present participle derailing, simple past and past participle derailed)

1. (transitive) To cause to come off the tracks.

2. (intransitive) To come off the tracks.
3. (intransitive, figuratively) To deviate from the previous course or direction.

4. (transitive, figuratively) To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:derail.

Synonyms

• unrail

Derived terms

• derailment

Translations

Anagrams

• Adriel, Dariel, Lérida, dialer, earlid, laired, railed, re-laid, redial, relaid