Other

deter

Syllabification: (de·ter)

Pronunciation: /diˈtər/

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Definition of deter

verb (deters, deterring, deterred)

[with object]

discourage (someone) from doing something, typically by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences:only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election
prevent the occurrence of:strategists think not only about how to deter war, but about how war might occur

Origin:

mid 16th century: from Latin deterrere, from de- 'away from' + terrere 'frighten'

Spelling rule

If a verb ends with a single vowel plus a consonant, and the stress is at the end of the word (as in refer), double the last letter when adding endings that begin with a vowel: (deters, deterring, deterred).

deter in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of deter in the British & World English dictionary

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