deter
Americanverb (used with object)
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to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
The large dog deterred trespassers.
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to prevent; check; arrest.
timber treated with creosote to deter rot.
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to repel.
Strongly scented marigolds planted among the melons are supposed to deter beetles.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deter
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin dēterrēre “to discourage, put off, frighten,” equivalent to dē-, prefix and preposition + terrēre “to frighten, scare”; see de-
Explanation
Deter means to discourage, or literally “to frighten away.” Halloween decorations that are too scary might deter trick-or-treaters, and the risk of being expelled deters kids from cheating in school. Deter comes from the Latin de meaning "away" and terrere meaning "frighten." Something that deters isn’t always scary, though: citronella plants deter mosquitoes, and fines deter people from littering. Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy dictum "speak softly and carry a big stick" was meant to deter other countries from attacking the United States.
Vocabulary lists containing deter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deter data previously showed 430 square kilometers of deforestation this January, more than quadruple the level in the same month last year.
From Seattle Times • May 6, 2022
The provision would mirror parts of the duo’s stand-alone Deter Act, and it also would build on a proposal tacked on to a version of the reauthorization act the House passed last month.
From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2019
John Michels, one of the original engineers, says the documentary was filmed by Bruce Deter, who also worked on the project as a concrete plant inspector.
From Washington Times • Jun. 21, 2016
What he found were substantial deposits of the amyloid beta protein, one of the two key proteins that Alzheimer discovered in Mrs Deter that are tied to the development of this disease.
From Economist • Sep. 9, 2015
Deter, de-tėr′, v.t. to frighten from: to hinder or prevent:—pr.p. deter′ring; pa.p. deterred′.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
