prae-mĕtŭo, 3, v. n. and a.
I Neutr. , to fear or be in fear beforehand (very rare): mens, Lucr. 3, 1019: Caesar praemetuens suis, fearing for , anxious about his men , * Caes. B. G. 7, 49, 1.—
II Act. , to fear something beforehand : poenas Danaum et deserti conjugis iras, * Verg. A. 2, 573: dum praemetuit cultus inolescere Christi, Prud. ap. Symm. 2, 681.
III —Hence, praemĕtŭ-ens , entis, P. a., fearing beforehand; with gen. obj. : ovis praemetuens doli, Phaedr. 1, 16, 4.—* Adv.: praemĕtŭenter , anxiously , solicitously : errorem vitare, Lucr. 4, 823.