1. The act of preventing something from occurring
   "averting danger was his responsibility"
    
2. The act of turning yourself (or your gaze) away
   "averting her gaze meant that she was angry";
   - aversion

1. Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away anything undesirable; to ward off
   "They managed to avert the crisis through quick action";
   - forefend [archaic], forfend [archaic], obviate, deflect, head off, stave off, fend off, avoid, ward off
    
2. Turn away or aside
   "They averted their eyes when the King entered";
   - turn away

Type of: avoidance, bar, dodging, forbid, foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, prevention, shunning, turn, turning away

Encyclopedia: Avert