Dictionary

forstand en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /fɔː(ɹ)ˈstænd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /fɚˈstænd/ (General-American)
• /fə(ɹ)ˈstænd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English forstanden, from Old English forstandan (“to defend, help, protect, withstand, prevent, hinder, resist, oppose, benefit, avail, understand, signify, be equal to”), from Proto-West Germanic *frastandan (“to understand, oppose”), equivalent to for- + stand. Cognate with West Frisian ferstean (“to understand”), Saterland Frisian ferstounde (“to understand”), Dutch verstaan (“to understand”), German verstehen (“to understand”). Compare also Norwegian Bokmål forstå (“to comprehend, understand”), Swedish förstå (“to comprehend, understand”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.
   • Hemophilia is a contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy, unless you have the time to build your patient up in order to forestand the shock. 1895, The Medical News:
   • "As he would more of them had not wise God, Wierd forstood him, and the man's courage." 1849, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England:
   • 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 foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […] 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC, page 291:
   • A mighty angel there forstood them. 1963, Fredericus Theodorus Visser, An historical syntax of the English language: Volume 1, Part 3:
2. (UK, dialectal, transitive) To understand; comprehend.
   • How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna forstand themselves. 1878, Samuel Smiles, Robert Dick: baker, of Thurso, geologist and botanist:

Forms