[syn: caution, precaution, care, forethought]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Precaution \Pre*cau"tion\, v. t. [Cf. F. pr['e]cautionner.]
1. To warn or caution beforehand. --Locke.
[1913 Webster]
2. To take precaution against. [R.] --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Precaution \Pre*cau"tion\, n. [F. pr['e]cation, L. praecautio,
fr. praecavere, praecautum, to guard against beforehand; prae
before + cavere be on one's guard. See Pre-, and
Caution.]
1. Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to
prevent mischief or secure good; as, his life was saved by
precaution.
[1913 Webster]
They [ancient philosophers] treasured up their
supposed discoveries with miserable precaution. --J.
H. Newman.
[1913 Webster]
2. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good
or success; a precautionary act; as, to take precautions
against accident.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
precaution
n 1: a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or
damage or injury etc.; "he put an ice pack on the injury as
a precaution"; "an insurance policy is a good safeguard";
"we let our guard down" [syn: precaution, safeguard,
guard]
2: the trait of practicing caution in advance
3: judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger; "he exercised
caution in opening the door"; "he handled the vase with care"
[syn: caution, precaution, care, forethought]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
43 Moby Thesaurus words for "precaution":
alertness, anticipation, apprehension, attention, canniness, care,
caution, cautiousness, chariness, circumspection, cover,
discreetness, discretion, escape, forearming, forebode,
forehandedness, foresight, foresightedness, forethought,
forethoughtfulness, forewarn, give advance notice, insurance,
measures, portend, precautions, precautiousness, premonish,
prenotify, preventive measure, prewarn, protection, providence,
provision, prudence, safeguard, steps, steps and measures,
tell in advance, vigilance, wariness, watchfulness