prae-căvĕo, cāvi, cautum, 2, v. a. and n., to guard against beforehand.
I Act. , to guard against , seek to avert , obviate , or prevent (class.; syn. provideo): illud praecavendum est mihi, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 107: peccata, quae difficillime praecaventur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 116: quod a me ita praecautum atque ita provisum est, id. Att. 2, 1, 6: ita mihi res tota provisa atque praecauta est, ut, etc., id. Verr. 2, 4, 42, § 91: venena, Suet. Calig. 23: injurias, Gell. 7, 3, 41: malam diem, Vulg. Eccl. 7, 15.—
II Neutr. , to take care or heed , to use precaution , to be on one's guard , to beware (class.): ferae, quibus abest ad praecavendum intellegendi astutia, Pac. ap. Cic. Fin. 5, 11, 31 (Trag. Rel. p. 103 Rib.); Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 21: providentem ante et praecaventem, Cic. Planc. 22, 53: praecaventibus fatis, Vell. 2, 12, 1: ab insidiis, to guard against , Liv. 9, 17.— With ne : id ne accideret, magnopere sibi praecavendum Caesar existimabat, Caes. B. G. 1, 38, 2; cf.: satis undique provisum atque praecautum est, ne, etc., Liv. 36, 17, 12: cum videtur praecaveri potuisse, si provisum esset, Cic. Tusc. 3, 22, 52; cf. id. Inv. 2, 32, 99.—With dat., to provide for , take precautions for one's safety : sibi, Ter. And. 624.—In part. perf. : sed praecauto'st opus, ne, etc., there is need of caution , Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 61.