preventer

preventer — noun

1. A person, substance, or device that stops something from happening or keeps it f

1.名詞B2
釋義

A person, substance, or device that stops something from happening or keeps it from occurring.

例句

The new fire preventer system uses sensors to detect smoke before it spreads.

modifier use: fire preventer system

Ezra paints a rust preventer onto steel beams so moisture cannot corrode them.

同義詞
  • deterrent

    suggests discouraging rather than physically blocking

  • barrier

    emphasises a physical or metaphorical wall that stops passage

  • safeguard

    focuses on protection against harm rather than prevention of an event

反義詞
  • cause

    something that makes an event happen, rather than stopping it

  • trigger

    something that sets an event in motion

文法句型

preventer + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used in compound nouns (rust preventer, flood preventer) where the first word names the thing being stopped.

常見錯誤

❌This medicine is a good prevention for colds.
✅This medicine is a good preventer of colds.
💡'prevention' is the act of stopping; 'preventer' is the thing that does the stopping.

2. An extra rope, cable, or piece of rigging on a boat that gives additional suppor

2.名詞C1
釋義

An extra rope, cable, or piece of rigging on a boat that gives additional support or serves as a backup in case the main gear fails.

例句

The crew tied a preventer to the boom to stop it swinging across the deck.

Darius checked the preventer line before the storm hit, making sure every knot was tight.

collocation: preventer line / preventer rope

同義詞
  • line

    a general term for any rope on a boat; less specific

  • stay

    a fixed cable that supports a mast, not a secondary safety line

用法筆記

Nearly always refers to a rope or line on a sailing vessel. The most common type is a boom preventer, which stops the boom from accidentally crossing the deck (gybing).

3. A technique in speech or writing where the speaker raises likely criticisms of t

3.名詞C2
釋義

A technique in speech or writing where the speaker raises likely criticisms of their own position and answers them in advance, so the objections lose their force.

例句

Hana used a preventer in her speech: 'The plan costs too much, but long-term savings pay for it.'

structure: raise objection + answer it in one sentence

The lawyer used a preventer to answer the jury's doubts before the prosecutor raised them.

同義詞
  • prolepsis

    the formal Greek term for the same rhetorical figure

  • procatalepsis

    another technical term for the device

用法筆記

Also called prolepsis or procatalepsis. Common in formal argumentative writing and political speeches. Do not confuse with the general sense of 'preventer' (something that stops an event); this sense is about anticipating and countering objections to an argument.