Definition of "warded" []

• Having notches or ridges. Used of a key or lock. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A coordinated effort by the world's major central banks on Nov. 30 to make more dollars available to banks warded off growing fears of another credit crunch in Europe, while strong holiday retail sales and U.S. employment data also helped to lift the gloom."
• "Yet he may now wonder whether he could have warded off an embarrassment that has brought the national set-up to its knees."
• "It seems that high ranking U.S. military leaders have successfully warded off an attack on Iran by threatening to resign."