Third person singular present tense of 'avoid', meaning to stay away from or prevent something from happening. It implies deliberate action to keep clear of something undesirable.
From Old French 'esvuidier' meaning 'to empty out', which evolved into 'avoid' meaning 'to make void or empty'. The sense of 'keeping away from' developed in Middle English from the idea of making space empty of oneself.
The evolution of 'avoid' from 'empty out' to 'stay away from' reflects a fascinating shift in spatial thinking - from actively removing something to strategically positioning oneself elsewhere. This word captures one of humanity's most important survival strategies: recognizing and evading danger.
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