avert 復習

　Democratic congressional leaders have cancelled a meeting with President Donald Trump after he attacked them on Twitter.
　The Republican president said he did not think he could reach a deal with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer on funding the government.
　The Democrats said they would negotiate with Republican lawmakers instead.
　Averting a federal shutdown is just one of this month's big challenges for Republicans, who control Capitol Hill.
　The party's lawmakers are also under pressure to pass a far-reaching tax plan that they can send to the president's desk by the end of the year. …
　Mr Trump, criticised by some his most ardent supporters for those earlier overtures, tweet-slammed "Chuck and Nancy". The Democratic duo responded by turning their backs on the president and promising to only negotiate with Republicans in Congress - who, they believe, are more likely to stand by any agreement reached. (Skip the rest)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42159139

　今回取り上げる語は、avert /əvˈɚːt/ です。
　まず意味を確認します。『ジーニアス英和大辞典』(大修館)をみると、「(1)<目・思考など>を[光景などから]そむける、そらす、転じる、(2)<人・事が><事故・危険など>を避ける」とあります。また、LDOCEをみると、“1 to prevent something unpleasant from happening 2 to look away from something so that you do not see it” とありました。
　次に語源を確認します。『ジーニアス英和大辞典』(大修館)をみると、「初15c ; ラテン語　avertere. a- (…から)+-vert (向きをかえる、回転する)」とありました。
　最後に類語を確認します。avert の類語として、divert が挙げられます。divert はLDOCEをみると、“1 to change the use of something such as time or money 2 to change the direction in which something travels” とあります。他にも多く類語があるので、多く用例などあたり、意味の違いをつかんでいきたいです。(OkaUchi)