a ‧ vert /əˈvɜːt $ -ɜːrt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: avertir , from Latin avertere , from ad- 'to' + vertere 'to turn' ]
1 . to prevent something unpleasant from happening:
The tragedy could have been averted if the crew had followed safety procedures.
2 . avert your eyes/gaze etc to look away from something so that you do not see it:
Henry averted his eyes as she undressed.