(verb) : prae-căvĕo, cāvi, cautum, 2, and n.
* To guard against beforehand.
* 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.,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 42, § 91: venena,Suet. Calig. 23: injurias,Gell. 7, 3, 41: malam diem,Vulg. Eccl. 7, 15.
* 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. 3, 5, 18.—In part. perf.: sed praecauto'st opus, ne, etc.,there is need of caution,Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 61.

s. TLL