precaution

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good.

   “his life was saved by precaution”

   “July 2, 1826, John Henry Newman, The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospel The ancient philosophers treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable precaution.”

2. (countable, uncountable)A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act.

   “to take precautions against risks of accident”

   “Despite all these precautions, however, severe storms sometimes caused drifts which brought traffic completely to a standstill.”

verb

1. (transitive)To warn or caution beforehand.
2. (rare, transitive)To take precaution against.