1. To turn away: "The man had to avert his eyes from the sight of the terrible auto accident."

"Cathy averted her head so we couldn't see her face."

2. To ward off or to prevent: "Thank you for averting an accident by driving the car carefully on this narrow street." 3. To prevent, to turn away, to avoid something, to ward off: "The quick arrival of fire-fighters averted a major forest fire."

"A man who averts danger turns it away from himself; to avert one's eyes is to turn them away."