preventative

2 definitions found

preventative - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Preventative \Pre*vent"a*tive\, n.
     That which prevents; -- incorrectly used instead of
     preventive.
     [1913 Webster]

preventative - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  preventative
      adj 1: tending to prevent or hinder [syn: preventive,
             preventative] [ant: permissive]
      2: preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease;
         "preventive medicine"; "vaccines are prophylactic"; "a
         prophylactic drug" [syn: preventive, preventative,
         prophylactic]
      n 1: remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or
           disease; "the doctor recommended several preventatives"
           [syn: preventive, preventative, prophylactic]
      2: any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome [syn:
         hindrance, hinderance, hitch, preventive,
         preventative, encumbrance, incumbrance, interference]
      3: an agent or device intended to prevent conception [syn:
         contraceptive, preventive, preventative, contraceptive   device
         , prophylactic device, birth control device]