preempt

1. (transitive) To appropriate first.Examples: "He preempted that hill to be its king."; "When they have preempted their ground [=their particular teat] they want to keep it, so you often see a fight, but see that there is only one claim made and then the old sow will not be disturbed. When once ranged they will always seek the same place."; "[...] the losers complaining that their party may see another popular issue preempted by what one of them called "born-again Democratic fiscal conservatives.""

2. (transitive) To displace or take the place of (by having higher precedence, etc).Examples: "Floppy disks were preempted by CDs."; "Similarly, in order to realize fully the benefits to consumers of increased competition in telecommunications, the Administration proposes to preempt state entry regulation for provision of telecommunications and information services."; "Leah and Jenny's friendship had happened upon them quickly because of a shared harrowing experience that had preempted the usual years of trust building ."

3. (transitive) To prevent or beat to the punch, to forestall an expected occurrence by acting first.Examples: "By his statement, the Secretary-General had effectively preempted the usual frustrating debates over questions of fact and law."; "But when it came time to hear from Charest on the evening of the razor-thin federalist victory, Jean Chretien deliberately preempted his appearance on national television."; "In fact, before Jane said anything at all, Claudia preempted her and began to speak very rapidly."Synonyms: ninja

4. (transitive) To secure (land, etc.) by the right of preemption (purchasing before others, e.g. land because one already occupies it).

5. (bridge, intransitive) To make a preemptive bid at bridge.