[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