Wiktionary
vb. (context idiomatic English) to prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert
WordNet
Usage examples of "stave off".
Saddam is not necessarily apocalyptic, but he will do anything to stave off his own overthrow and has absolutely no moral constraints on his actions.
A contrite heart and ten nobles to holy mother Church may stave off perdition.
Keep it up- any activity would stave off despondency, their ultimate enemy -let's sing, shall we?
Occasionally, they had to lean out and use poles to stave off jagged, deadly rocks.
There is a part of any man that will do anything to stave off loneliness.
If the young Prince does this to make an alliance and stave off further war with the God’.
Perhaps the best way for us to stave off war between the Six Duchies and the Out Islands is not with a wedding.
If the young prince does this to make an alliance and stave off further war with the God's Runes folk, then he must be sure that he does it in the manner agreed upon.
He had even met Baron Jalator once, a small man who had refused Arkus' offer of the life-sustaining drug to stave off the encroachment of age.
It grows harder to stave off frustration, knowing my friends are in the thick of things, and me stuck below, staring at blank walls, with just dumb beasts for company.
The pages who spent their days in a lobby off the stairwell were always provided with water and I reckoned I should at least be able to get a drink to stave off the worst pangs of hunger.