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PREVENTATIVE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An agent or device intended to prevent conception
Synonyms:
birth control device; contraceptive; contraceptive device; preventative; preventive; prophylactic device
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("preventative" is a kind of...):
device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "preventative"):
cervical cap (a contraceptive device consisting of a small thimble-shaped cup that is placed over the uterine cervix to prevent the entrance of spermatozoa)
coil (a contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb)
condom; prophylactic; rubber; safe; safety (contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse)
contraceptive diaphragm; diaphragm; pessary (a contraceptive device consisting of a flexible dome-shaped cup made of rubber or plastic; it is filled with spermicide and fitted over the uterine cervix)
intrauterine device; IUD (contraceptive device consisting of a piece of bent plastic or metal that is inserted through the vagina into the uterus)
morning-after pill (a large dose of estrogen taken orally within 24 to 72 hours after intercourse; prevents implantation of a fertilized ovum and so acts as a contraceptive; commonly used after rape or incest)
anovulant; anovulatory drug; birth control pill; contraceptive pill; oral contraceptive; oral contraceptive pill; pill (a contraceptive in the form of a pill containing estrogen and progestin to inhibit ovulation and so prevent conception)
spermatocide; spermicide (a contraceptive agent that kills spermatozoa)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome
Synonyms:
encumbrance; hinderance; hindrance; hitch; incumbrance; interference; preventative; preventive
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("preventative" is a kind of...):
impediment; impedimenta; obstructer; obstruction; obstructor (any structure that makes progress difficult)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "preventative"):
clog (any object that acts as a hindrance or obstruction)
speed bump (a hindrance to speeding created by a crosswise ridge in the surface of a roadway)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease
Example:
the doctor recommended several preventatives
Synonyms:
preventative; preventive; prophylactic
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("preventative" is a kind of...):
curative; cure; remedy; therapeutic (a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
Example:
a prophylactic drug
Synonyms:
preventative; preventive; prophylactic
Classified under:
Similar:
healthful (conducive to good health of body or mind)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Tending to prevent or hinder
Synonyms:
preventative; preventive
Classified under:
Similar:
blockading (blocking entrance to and exit from seaports and harbors)
clogging; hindering; impeding; obstructive (preventing movement)
deterrent (tending to deter)
frustrating; frustrative; thwarting (preventing realization or attainment of a desire)
precautional; precautionary (taken in advance to protect against possible danger or failure)
obviating; preclusive (made impossible)
pre-emptive; preemptive (designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence)
prohibitive; prohibitory (tending to discourage (especially of prices))
Also:
protective (intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind)
Derivation:
prevent (stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state)
prevent (keep from happening or arising; make impossible)
Context examples:
Australian scientists have successfully blocked the deadliest malaria parasite —- Plasmodium falciparum — in its transmission stage, paving the way for developing preventative therapies to stop the spread of the disease.
(New way to stop falciparum malaria transmission, SciDev.Net)
The work therefore not only provides evidence that a prenatal influence on later heart disease in the offspring is indeed possible but also shows the potential to protect against it by bringing preventative medicine back into the womb.
(Heart disease risk begins in the womb, University of Cambridge)
The sixth house is also the house of health and the preventative measures you take to stay well and strong, while the eighth house, in addition to being the house of money, is also the house of surgery and payments given to you, or to the doctor on your behalf, through an insurance payout on a claim.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
They received either current preventative treatments—the antifolate drugs sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) monthly or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxozole (TS) daily, or a new combination drug called dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) once daily for 3 consecutive days each month.
(Drug Prevents Malaria in High-Risk Region, NIH)
Primary prevention involves efforts to directly prevent and/or inhibit malignant transformation; to identify, characterize, and manipulate factors that might be effective in achieving that inhibition; and attempts to promote preventative measures, such as appropriate training of scientists and clinicians.
(Cancer Prevention, Primary, NCI Thesaurus)
This drug profile reveals the potential to be part of a single-dose cure, benefitting people who are infected with malaria, and working as a preventative measure, says Kelly Chibale, a corresponding author of the article and founding director of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Drug Discovery and Development Centre, H3D.
(Antimalarial candidate holds promise as a single dose, SciDev.Net)
