forfend

From Middle English forfenden (“to ward off, protect, prohibit”), equivalent to for- +‎ fend.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɔːˈfɛnd/, /fə-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɔɹˈfɛnd/
• Rhymes: -ɛnd
• Hyphenation: for‧fend

• Audio (US):

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forfend (third-person singular simple present forfends, present participle forfending, simple past and past participle forfended)

1. (archaic) To prohibit; to forbid; to avert.
   • 1594, Thomas Lodge, The Wounds of Civil War, act 4, scene 1, page 54:

     Clown: … You would know where Lord Anthonie is? I perceiue you. Shall I ſay he is in yond farme houſe? I deceiue you. Shall I tell you this wine is for him? the gods forfend, and ſo I end. Go fellow fighters theres a bob for ye.

   • 2008, Lew, short circuit operators, [email protected]

     What? Multi-posting? Usenet Gods forfend!

   • 2018, Steven Pinker, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, page 271:

     People have long given thought to the causes of danger and how they might be forfended.

• Common usage of this word is predominantly confined to set expressions such as heaven forfend.

• God forfend

• nroffed