escape Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the act of escaping physically
    flight.
    • he made his escape from the mental hospital
    • the canary escaped from its cage
    • his flight was an indication of his guilt
  2. noun an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy
    escapism.
    • romantic novels were her escape from the stress of daily life
    • his alcohol problem was a form of escapism
  3. noun nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do
    dodging; evasion.
    • his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible
    • that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive
  4. noun an avoidance of danger or difficulty
    • that was a narrow escape
  5. noun a means or way of escaping
    • hard work was his escape from worry
    • they installed a second hatch as an escape
    • their escape route
  6. noun a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild
  7. noun the discharge of a fluid from some container
    leak; outflow; leakage.
    • they tried to stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe
    • he had to clean up the leak
  8. noun a valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level
    relief valve; safety valve; escape valve; escape cock.
  9. verb run away from confinement
    break loose; get away.
    • The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison
  10. verb fail to experience
    miss.
    • Fortunately, I missed the hurricane
  11. verb escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action
    get out; get off; get by; get away.
    • She gets away with murder!
    • I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities
  12. verb be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
    elude.
    • What you are seeing in him eludes me
  13. verb remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion
    get away.
    • We escaped to our summer house for a few days
    • The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer
  14. verb flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
    lam; run; head for the hills; hightail it; bunk; run away; take to the woods; scarper; fly the coop; break away; scat; turn tail.
    • If you see this man, run!
    • The burglars escaped before the police showed up
  15. verb issue or leak, as from a small opening
    • Gas escaped into the bedroom

WordNet

Es*cape" transitive verb
Etymology
OE. escapen, eschapen, OF. escaper, eschaper, F. echapper, fr. LL. ex cappa out of one's cape or cloak; hence, to slip out of one's cape and escape. See 3d Cape, and cf. Scape, v.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Escaped ; present participle & verbal noun Escaping
Definitions
  1. To flee from and avoid; to be saved or exempt from; to shun; to obtain security from; as, to escape danger. "Sailors that escaped the wreck." Shak.
  2. To avoid the notice of; to pass unobserved by; to evade; as, the fact escaped our attention.
    They escaped the search of the enemy. Ludlow.
Es*cape" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To flee, and become secure from danger; -- often followed by from or out of.
    Haste, for thy life escape, nor look behind Keble.
  2. To get clear from danger or evil of any form; to be passed without harm.
    Such heretics . . . would have been thought fortunate, if they escaped with life. Macaulay.
  3. To get free from that which confines or holds; -- used of persons or things; as, to escape from prison, from arrest, or from slavery; gas escapes from the pipes; electricity escapes from its conductors.
    To escape out of these meshes. Thackeray.
Es*cape" noun
Definitions
  1. The act of fleeing from danger, of evading harm, or of avoiding notice; deliverance from injury or any evil; flight; as, an escape in battle; a narrow escape; also, the means of escape; as, a fire escape.
    I would hasten my escape from the windy storm. Ps. lv. 8.
  2. That which escapes attention or restraint; a mistake; an oversight; also, transgression. Obs.
    I should have been more accurate, and corrected all those former escapes. Burton.
  3. A sally. "Thousand escapes of wit." Shak.
  4. (Law) The unlawful permission, by a jailer or other custodian, of a prisoner's departure from custody. ✍ Escape is technically distinguishable from prison breach, which is the unlawful departure of the prisoner from custody, escape being the permission of the departure by the custodian, either by connivance or negligence. The term escape, however, is applied by some of the old authorities to a departure from custody by stratagem, or without force. Wharton.
  5. (Arch.) An apophyge.
  6. Leakage or outflow, as of steam or a liquid.
  7. (Elec.) Leakage or loss of currents from the conducting wires, caused by defective insulation.

Webster 1913