avoid: [14] Avoid at first meant literally ‘make void, empty’. It was formed in Old French from the adjective vuide ‘empty’ (source of English void [13], and derived from a hypothetical Vulgar Latin *vocitus, which is related ultimately to vacant). With the addition of the prefix es- ‘out’, a verb evuider was formed, which passed into English via Anglo-Norman avoider. The original sense ‘empty’ barely survived into the 17th century, but meanwhile it had progressed through ‘withdrawing, so as to leave someone alone or leave a place empty’ to ‘deliberately staying away from someone or something’. => vacant, void
avoid (v.)
c. 1300, from Anglo-French avoider "to clear out, withdraw (oneself)," partially anglicized from Old French esvuidier "to empty out," from es- "out" (see ex-) + vuidier "to be empty," from voide "empty, vast, wide, hollow, waste" (see void (adj.)). Originally a law term; modern sense of "have nothing to do with" also was in Middle English and corresponds to Old French eviter with which it was perhaps confused. Meaning "escape, evade" first attested 1520s. Related: Avoided; avoiding.
实用例句
1. The couple married in the Caribbean to avoid a media circus.
为了摆脱媒体的关注，这对新人在加勒比喜结连理。
来自柯林斯例句
2. He heard tires squeal as the car braked to avoid a collision.
为避免相撞而刹车时，他听到了轮胎与地面刺耳的摩擦声。
来自柯林斯例句
3. To avoid damaging the tree, hammer a wooden peg into the hole.
为了不毁坏树，用锤子将一个木栓钉进洞里。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Use different colours of felt pen on your sketch to avoid confusion.
用不同颜色的毡头笔画草图，以免搞混。
来自柯林斯例句
5. I avoid working in places which are too public.
