avaunt

[ uh-vawnt, uh-vahnt ]

/ əˈvɔnt, əˈvɑnt /

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adverb Archaic.

away; hence.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of avaunt

1275–1325; Middle English <Middle French avant to the front <Late Latin ab ante before (Latin: from before). See ab-, ante-

Words nearby avaunt

avarice, avaricious, avascular, avast, avatar, avaunt, A.V.C., avdp., ave, ave atque vale, Avebury

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use avaunt in a sentence

Avaunt, thou grand sycophant of the nineteenth century, thou vile usurper of the people's throne!
Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women|George Sumner Weaver
He went to see her, taking with him a priest, who began to exorcise her, bidding her avaunt if she were of the Evil One.
Heroines That Every Child Should Know|Various
Hors de couple, avaunt sy avaunt, and thrice so howe: When the hounds are uncoupled.
The Master of Game|Second Duke of York, Edward
With a fierce bellow he emerged from his cask, and roaring, "Avaunt, knight of the invincible shield and craven heart!"
A Great Emergency and Other Tales|Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing

It sounds Shakespearian, and probably means Avaunt and quit my sight.
The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories|Mark Twain

British Dictionary definitions for avaunt

avaunt

/ (əˈvɔːnt) /

sentence substitute

archaic go away! depart!

Word Origin for avaunt

C15: from Old French avant! forward!, from Late Latin ab ante forward, from Latin ab from + ante before

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012