See avast in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
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"3": "hou vast"
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"etymology_text": "Probably borrowed from Dutch hou vast, houd vast (“hold tight”), from houd (imperative of houden (“to hold”)) + vast (“fast, firm”).",
"head_templates": [
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"expansion": "avast",
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"ref": "1681, Thomas Otway, The Souldiers Fortune: A Comedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 51:",
"text": "Then pull avvay, hoa up, hoa up, hoa up, ſo avaſt there, Sir.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I am Seized with a Deep Melancholy, and Become a Sloven […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 305:",
"text": "Avaſt, brother, avaſt! ſheer off—Yo ho! you turnkey, vvhy don't you keep a better look out? here's one of your crazy priſoners broke from his laſhings, I do ſuppoſe.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which our hero sets off on another cruise, in which he is not blown off shore”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, page 87:",
"text": "[T]he sail went into the water, and he could not drag it in. \"Avast heaving,\" said Gascoigne, \"till I throw her up and take the wind out of it.\"",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 93:",
"text": "[S]he caught me as I was again trying to force the open the door. \"I won't allow it; I won't have my premises spoiled. Go for the locksmith, there's one about a mile from here. But avast!\" putting her hand in her side-pocket, \"here's a key that'll fit, I guess; let's see.\" And with that, she turned it in the lock; but, alas! Queequeg's supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 233:",
"text": "\"Avast, there!\" cried Silver. \"Who are you, Tom Morgan? Maybe you thought you was cap'n here, perhaps. By the powers, but I'll teach you better![…]\"",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Shanghaied”, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC, part I, page 15:",
"text": "\"Avast there!\" cried the captain, and as though to punctuate his remark he swung the heavy stick he usually carried full upon the back of Billy's head.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2008, Nadia Higgins, Avast, Ye Dog Thief! (Barnacle Barb & Her Pirate Crew), Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, ABDO Publishing Group, →ISBN:",
"text": "\"That landlubber's stole me dog!\" Armpit cried. \"Avast, ye dog thief!\" he roared to the man.",
"type": "quote"
}
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"Hold fast!; cease!; stop!"
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"word": "desist"
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"word": "stay"
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"word": "avast"
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{
"text": "Avast, ye landlubbers!",
"type": "example"
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{
"ref": "2005 September, John Baur, Mark Summers, Piratitude! So You Wanna be a Pirate? Here’s How!, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, pages 35 and 166:",
"text": "[“Pirate Talk: How to Make It Work for You”, page 35] Avast—\"Stop and give attention.\" It can be used in a sense of surprise: \"Whoa! Get a load of that!\" when a beautiful woman walks into the room. \"Avast! Check out the bowsprit on that fine beauty!\" you might say. […] [“Cap’n Slappy’s Practical Parrot Pointers”, page 166] Arrrr! Avast, Cap'n Slappy. Does ye know where the treasure of the Sierra Madre be buried? If ye don't tell me its whereabouts, I'll have to swing ye from the yardarm, matey.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!"
],
"id": "en-avast-en-intj-en:listen",
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"imitation"
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"pirates",
"pirate#Noun"
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"listen",
"listen#Verb"
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"(slang) In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!"
],
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"synonyms": [
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"word": "heads up"
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"sounds": [
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"ipa": "/əˈvɑːst/",
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{
"ipa": "/-ˈvæst/",
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"Received-Pronunciation"
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"ipa": "/əˈvæst/",
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"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/En-au-avast.ogg"
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{
"rhymes": "-ɑːst"
},
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"rhymes": "-æst"
}
],
"synonyms": [
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"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
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"nautical",
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],
"word": "avast!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "cut it out!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "enough!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "give it a break!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "halt!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "have done!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "hold!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "hold fast!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "knock it off!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "leave off!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "not so fast!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"tags": [
"archaic"
],
"word": "soft"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "stay!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "stop [⇒ thesaurus]!"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "whoa!"
}
],
"word": "avast"
}
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"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-",
"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱel- (cover)",
"Pages with 3 entries",
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"etymology_text": "Probably borrowed from Dutch hou vast, houd vast (“hold tight”), from houd (imperative of houden (“to hold”)) + vast (“fast, firm”).",
"head_templates": [
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"expansion": "avast",
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"word": "desist"
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"ref": "1681, Thomas Otway, The Souldiers Fortune: A Comedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 51:",
"text": "Then pull avvay, hoa up, hoa up, hoa up, ſo avaſt there, Sir.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I am Seized with a Deep Melancholy, and Become a Sloven […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 305:",
"text": "Avaſt, brother, avaſt! ſheer off—Yo ho! you turnkey, vvhy don't you keep a better look out? here's one of your crazy priſoners broke from his laſhings, I do ſuppoſe.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which our hero sets off on another cruise, in which he is not blown off shore”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, page 87:",
"text": "[T]he sail went into the water, and he could not drag it in. \"Avast heaving,\" said Gascoigne, \"till I throw her up and take the wind out of it.\"",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 93:",
"text": "[S]he caught me as I was again trying to force the open the door. \"I won't allow it; I won't have my premises spoiled. Go for the locksmith, there's one about a mile from here. But avast!\" putting her hand in her side-pocket, \"here's a key that'll fit, I guess; let's see.\" And with that, she turned it in the lock; but, alas! Queequeg's supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 233:",
"text": "\"Avast, there!\" cried Silver. \"Who are you, Tom Morgan? Maybe you thought you was cap'n here, perhaps. By the powers, but I'll teach you better![…]\"",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Shanghaied”, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC, part I, page 15:",
"text": "\"Avast there!\" cried the captain, and as though to punctuate his remark he swung the heavy stick he usually carried full upon the back of Billy's head.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2008, Nadia Higgins, Avast, Ye Dog Thief! (Barnacle Barb & Her Pirate Crew), Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, ABDO Publishing Group, →ISBN:",
"text": "\"That landlubber's stole me dog!\" Armpit cried. \"Avast, ye dog thief!\" he roared to the man.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Hold fast!; cease!; stop!"
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"Hold fast",
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"word": "desist"
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{
"word": "stay"
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{
"word": "avast"
}
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"topics": [
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"examples": [
{
"text": "Avast, ye landlubbers!",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2005 September, John Baur, Mark Summers, Piratitude! So You Wanna be a Pirate? Here’s How!, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, pages 35 and 166:",
"text": "[“Pirate Talk: How to Make It Work for You”, page 35] Avast—\"Stop and give attention.\" It can be used in a sense of surprise: \"Whoa! Get a load of that!\" when a beautiful woman walks into the room. \"Avast! Check out the bowsprit on that fine beauty!\" you might say. […] [“Cap’n Slappy’s Practical Parrot Pointers”, page 166] Arrrr! Avast, Cap'n Slappy. Does ye know where the treasure of the Sierra Madre be buried? If ye don't tell me its whereabouts, I'll have to swing ye from the yardarm, matey.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!"
],
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"(slang) In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!"
],
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},
{
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"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
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{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"topics": [
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"word": "avast!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "cut it out!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "enough!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "give it a break!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "halt!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "have done!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "hold!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "hold fast!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "knock it off!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "leave off!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "not so fast!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"tags": [
"archaic"
],
"word": "soft"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "stay!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "stop [⇒ thesaurus]!"
},
{
"source": "Thesaurus:avast",
"word": "whoa!"
}
],
"word": "avast"
}
Download raw JSONL data for avast meaning in English (6.9kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (b941637 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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