forestaller

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a trader who bought or intercepted goods before they reached an open market, especially to resell them at a higher price

   The statute punished a forestaller who bought grain before it entered the public market.

2. 2
   noun

   a person or thing that anticipates and prevents an action or event; rare

   Early diplomacy proved an effective forestaller of open conflict.

From Middle English forstaller, an agent noun from forestall. The verb originally meant to intercept goods before they reached a market, from fore- + stall in the sense 'position'; it later broadened to anticipating and preventing an event.

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