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⛵ A safety rope 🛑 A stopper 💊 A control medicine
preventer

preventer

4 7.9
A rope on a sailboat that stops the boom from swinging across the deck
  • noun
  • /prɪˈvɛntər/
  • Jargon
: preventor
  • blowout preventer
  • an old blowout preventer

Examples

  • We're still using the same blowout preventers, so it seems like we should be doing something better.

    Blog text (29)

  • Hit the blowout preventer!

    The Best of Me (2014)

  • The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service requires regular inspections, John said, and "this blowout preventer was tested back in January and it was working fine."

    Blog text (29)

  • I went out of my way to congratulate BP and Helix on recovering the damaged DWH blowout preventer.

    Blog text (14)

  • Shell can dig 20-by-40 ft mud-line cellars, which will eventually hold and protect a well's blowout preventer 40 ft below the seabed.

    Blog text (9)

  • It's redundancy times three because three separate preventers—the main shut-off at the base and two blowout preventers above that—are on such wells.

    Blog text (29)

  • The preventer on the sailboat stopped the boom from swinging dangerously across the deck.

  • Sailors adjusted the preventer to ensure the sail remained stable in strong winds.

  • By using a preventer, the crew could avoid accidental jibes and keep the boat steady.

Synonyms

arrestor
vspreventer
  • Specialized
6.1

A device that stops or slows moving parts to keep people safe

is specific to sailboats and not used in other safety contexts
arrester
vspreventer
  • Specialized
6.5

A device that stops movement or limits flow in machines and electrical systems

is specific to sailboats and not intended for machinery or electrical use

Antonyms

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

Surface Forms

preventer singular
preventers plural

Morphology

preventer = prevent (semi-transparent) = prevent + er

Built from 'prevent' + '-er', but the sense is a specialized nautical device (rope or rigging) whose specific referent is domain-specific.

Etymology

Preventer on a sailboat is a rope or device that stops the boom from swinging across the deck, and the word comes from pre- 'before' and venire 'to come'. That's why sailors attach a preventer: it is put in place to stop an accident before it happens.