Where does “avoid” come from?

Avoid comes from Middle English avoiden, from Old French esvuidier, meaning to empty or clear away.

avoid (English): To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun

Definitions

  1. To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun

Ancestry of “avoid”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishavoiden—
2Anglo-Normanavoiderto void; to avoid
3Old Frenchesvuidierto empty out

Words derived from “avoid”

Every word from Old French esvuidier →Every word from Middle English avoiden →Every word from Anglo-Norman avoider →