avoid

Meaning

Verb

• To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun
• To make sth miss s.o.; to give way
• to keep away from; to keep clear of; to stay away from
• To try not to do something or to have something happen
• To make empty; to clear.
• To make void, to annul; to refute (especially a contract).
• To defeat or evade; to invalidate.
• To emit or throw out; to void.
• To leave, evacuate; to leave as empty, to withdraw or come away from.
• To get rid of.
• To retire; to withdraw, depart, go away.
• To become void or vacant.

Origin

• From Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-Norman avoider, Old French esvuidier ("to empty out"), from es- + vuidier, from Vulgar Latin < *vocitus < *vocivus, ultimately related to Latin vacuus. Displaced native Middle English mithe, which was cognate with Dutch mijden and with German meiden, vermeiden.