caveat
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈkævɪæt/, /ˈkeɪ-/
  • (GA) IPA: /ˈkæviɑt/, /-æt/
Noun

caveat (plural caveats)

  1. A warning.
    There is at least one caveat in cultivation: you’ll have to stick to only one discipline, such as that according to Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha.
    • 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, Diuided into Foure Parts. [...], Imprinted at London: [By H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, OCLC 837515946 ↗; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, Diuided into Foure Parts. [...] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], OCLC 706027473 ↗, page 291 ↗:
      And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to forstand#English|foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; {{...}
  2. A qualification or exemption.
    He gave his daughter some hyacinth bulbs with the caveat that she plant them in the shade.
  3. (law) A formal#Adjective|formal objection.
    1. (law) A formal#Adjective|formal notice#Noun|notice of interest in land#Noun|land under a Torrens land-title#Noun|title system.
  4. (law) A notice request#Verb|requesting a postponement of a court#Noun|court proceeding#Noun|proceeding.
Translations Translations Translations Verb

caveat (caveats, present participle caveating; past and past participle caveated)

  1. (transitive, regarded by some as nonstandard) To qualify a statement with a caveat or proviso.
  2. (transitive, law) To formally object#Verb|object to something.
    1. (transitive, law, specifically) To lodge#Verb|lodge a formal#Adjective|formal notice#Noun|notice of interest in land#Noun|land under a Torrens land-title#Noun|title system.
  3. (transitive, law, dated) To issue#Verb|issue a notice request#Verb|requesting that proceedings be suspended.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To warn or caution#Verb|caution against some event.
    • 1825, John Jamieson, “CHRISTSWOORT, {{smallcaps”, in Supplement to the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: […] In Two Volumes, volume II (K–Z), Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press; for W[illiam] & C[harles] Tait, […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, OCLC 863495133 ↗, page 210 ↗, column 1:
      It is said that the herb Christswoort, or Christmas flower, in plain English Black Helebore, (so called from its springing about this time) helpeth madnesse, distraction, purgeth melancholy and dulnesse. This last expression minds me to caveat the Reader, not to be angry at Helebore because it's called Christmas flowre; for it, poore thing, hurts no body that lets it alone, […] [quoting V. Annand's Mysterium Pietatis, pages 24–25.]
Related terms
  • caveat emptor
  • caveat lector
  • caveat loan



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