prae-mĕtŭo

Neutr., to fear or be in fear beforehand (very rare): mens, Lucr. 3, 1019: Caesar praemetuens suis, fearing for, anxious about his men, * Caes. B. G. 7, 49, 1.—

Act., to fear something beforehand: poenas Danaum et deserti conjugis iras, * Verg. A. 2, 573: dum praemetuit cultus inolescere Christi, Prud. ap. Symm. 2, 681.—Hence, praemĕtŭ-ens, entis, P. a., fearing beforehand; with gen. obj.: ovis praemetuens doli, Phaedr. 1, 16, 4.—* Adv.: praemĕtŭenter, anxiously, solicitously: errorem vitare, Lucr. 4, 823.