forecaution

English

Etymology

From fore- +‎ caution. First attested in 1662.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fɔːrˈkɔːʃən/
Hyphenation: fore‧cau‧tion

Noun

forecaution (countable and uncountable, plural forecautions)

(archaic, uncountable) Caution in advance; precaution.
- 1882, Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, Saint Bartholomew's Hospital Reports, Smith, Elder & Co., page 405:
  Again, on the contrary, however much forecaution may have been taken in preparing the patient for an operation, some general disturbance follows, […]
- 1845, David Badham, Insect Life, William Blackwood and Sons, page 101:
  […] that as nature had not given intelligence to these creatures, they cannot have the means of taking counsel together, of exercising forethought or forecaution, nor of learning any thing, […]
- 1881, Frank Leslie, Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, page 644:
  They had at their disposal all the terrible enginery of secret murder, against which no human forecaution can effectually guard.
(archaic, countable) A measure taken in advance to disallow misfortune; a precaution.
- 1662, Jan Baptist van Helmont, Oriatrike, Or, Phyſick Refined, the Common Errors Therein Refuted, and the Whole Art Reformed & Rectified, page 394:
  […] to cure from the latter or effect, by a forecaution and prevention of its increaſe?
- 1904, The Metal Worker, Plumber, and Steam Fitter, page 50:
  […] the result is worse, and serious breakage has occurred before the job was finished, due to settling of legs because no forecaution was taken to prevent it.

Verb

forecaution (third-person singular simple present forecautions, present participle forecautioning, simple past and past participle forecautioned)

(transitive) To warn or caution in advance.
- 1839, Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus, The Treatises of Caecilius Cyprianus, page 298:
  By Solomon, the Holy Spirit hath shewn and forecautioned us, saying, "And though they suffered torments in the sight of men, their hope is full of immortality. […] "