1680s, a nautical interjection, "hold! stop!" probably worn down from Dutch houd vast "hold fast." AVAST. -- The order to stop, or pause, in any exercise or operation; as Avast hea [..]

An order to stop or cease hauling (stop action at once).

Stop, cease or desist from whatever is being done. From the Dutch hou' vast ("hold fast"), from houd ("hold") + vast ("fast").

An order to stop or cease hauling (stop action at once).

Stop, cease or desist from whatever is being done.

    Stop, as "Avast heaving."  

Stop! Halt! Cease!

A command to stop or cease immediately what one is doing.

a command to cease or desist from whatever is being done. "Avast heaving on that line, Berninger."

Avast! means Hold! Enough! Finish! It comes from the Italian word "Basta".

Stop! Cease or desist from whatever is being done.

Stop, cease or desist from whatever is being done. From the Dutch hou' vast (“hold fast”), from houd (“hold”) + vast (“fast”).

A command which means, basically, 'Stop what you're doing.' This term appears to be from the French 'Haud Vast,' literally 'hold fast.'

A command to stop or cease immediately what one is doing.

Stop, cease, hold, discontinue. As avast heaving (stop heaving), avast hauling (stop hauling), &c.

(nautical) hold fast!; desist!; stay!. * year=1914 |year_published='''2009''' |edition=HTML |editor= |author=Edgar Rice Burroughs |title=The Mucker |chapter= |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/331 [..]

Avast was founded in 1988 by Eduard Kučera and Pavel Baudiš who encountered the Vienna Virus and started developing methods to help protect computers from it and others like it.

Stop