Etymology From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”), equivalent to fore- + stall.
1
To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.
Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.
The Act of 1846 also authorised a branch from the village of Broughty Ferry on the D. & A. to the pier at Broughty Ferry Castle. This action was taken to forestall the Edinburgh & Northern Railway, which had acquired the ferry between Ferryport-on-Craig (Tayport from July, 1851) and Broughty Ferry, and had hopes of a connecting railway on the north side of the Tay.1958 January 23, Charles E. Lee, “The Dundee & Arbroath Railway - 1”, in Railway Magazine, page 29:
2
To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.
In French, an aspired h forestalls elision.
3
Archaic To purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.
4
To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.
What need a man forestall his date of grief, / And run to meet what he would most avoid?1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
She insisted on doing her share of the offices needful to the sick. She arranged his bed so that it was possible to change the sheet without disturbing him. She washed him. […] She did not speak to him much, but she was quick to forestall his wants.1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 26”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
5
To deprive (with of).
All the better; may / This night forestall him of the coming day!1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
6
LawUK To obstruct or stop up, as a road; to stop the passage of a highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.
Etymology From Middle English forstal, from Old English foresteall (“an intervention, hindrance (of justice), ambush, assault, offence of waylaying on the highway, fine for such an offence, resistance, opposition”), equivalent to fore- + stall.
1
Historical, Obsolete An ambush; plot; an interception; waylaying; rescue.