FORESTALLING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does forestalling mean? 

• FORESTALLING (noun)
  The noun FORESTALLING has 1 sense:

1. the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively

  Familiarity information: FORESTALLING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FORESTALLING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

forestalling; obviation; preclusion

Hypernyms ("forestalling" is a kind of...):

bar; prevention (the act of preventing)

Derivation:

forestall (keep from happening or arising; make impossible)

forestall (act in advance of; deal with ahead of time)

 Context examples 

Her light grey eyes wandered continually from one to the other, noting every little want and forestalling it if possible.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

From his putting his finger to his lips, I gathered that he expected her to wake before long and was afraid of forestalling nature.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

But his pursuers forestalling him, he doubled back across the cabin, passed over the galley, and gained the deck by means of the steerage-scuttle.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Till this year, every long vacation since their marriage had been divided between Hartfield and Donwell Abbey; but all the holidays of this autumn had been given to sea-bathing for the children, and it was therefore many months since they had been seen in a regular way by their Surry connexions, or seen at all by Mr. Woodhouse, who could not be induced to get so far as London, even for poor Isabella's sake; and who consequently was now most nervously and apprehensively happy in forestalling this too short visit.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)