escape
Noun · VerbWordNet 3.0
Noun (8)
- the act of escaping physically“he made his escape from the mental hospital”“the canary escaped from its cage”“his flight was an indication of his guilt”Synonyms: flight
- an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy“romantic novels were her escape from the stress of daily life”“his alcohol problem was a form of escapism”Synonyms: escapism
- nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do“his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible”“that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive”Synonyms: evasiondodging
- an avoidance of danger or difficulty“that was a narrow escape”
- a means or way of escaping“hard work was his escape from worry”“they installed a second hatch as an escape”“their escape route”
- a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild
- the discharge of a fluid from some container“they tried to stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe”“he had to clean up the leak”Synonyms: leakleakageoutflow
- a valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous levelSynonyms: safety valverelief valveescape valveescape cock
Verb (7)
- run away from confinement“The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison”Synonyms: get awaybreak loose
- fail to experience“Fortunately, I missed the hurricane”Synonyms: miss
- escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action“She gets away with murder!”“I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities”Synonyms: get offget awayget byget out
- be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by“What you are seeing in him eludes me”Synonyms: elude
- remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion“We escaped to our summer house for a few days”“The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer”Synonyms: get away
- flee; take to one's heels; cut and run“If you see this man, run!”“The burglars escaped before the police showed up”Synonyms: scatrunscarperturn taillamrun awayhightail itbunkhead for the hillstake to the woodsfly the coopbreak away
- issue or leak, as from a small opening“Gas escaped into the bedroom”
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
1.To flee, and become secure from danger; -- often followed by from or out of. [1913 Webster]
Haste, for thy life escape, nor look behind??— Keble.[1913 Webster]
2.To get clear from danger or evil of any form; to be passed without harm. [1913 Webster]
Such heretics . . . would have been thought fortunate, if they escaped with life.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
To escape out of these meshes.— Thackeray.[1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm.— Ps. lv. 8.[1913 Webster]
2.That which escapes attention or restraint; a mistake; an oversight; also, transgression. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
I should have been more accurate, and corrected all those former escapes.— Burton.[1913 Webster]
3.A sally. "Thousand escapes of wit." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
4.(Law) The unlawful permission, by a jailer or other custodian, of a prisoner's departure from custody. [1913 Webster]
5.(Bot.) A plant which has escaped from cultivation. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Note: 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. [1913 Webster]
5.(Arch.) An apophyge. [1913 Webster]
6.Leakage or outflow, as of steam or a liquid. [1913 Webster]
7.(Elec.) Leakage or loss of currents from the conducting wires, caused by defective insulation. [1913 Webster]
Escape pipe (Steam Boilers), a pipe for carrying away steam that escapes through a safety valve.
Escape valve (Steam Engine), a relief valve; a safety valve. See under Relief, and Safety.
Escape wheel (Horol.), the wheel of an escapement. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
2.To avoid the notice of; to pass unobserved by; to evade; as, the fact escaped our attention. [1913 Webster]
They escaped the search of the enemy.— Ludlow.[1913 Webster]
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
<language> An early system on the IBM 650.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)].
(1995-01-05)
<character> (ESC) ASCII character 27.
When sent by the user, escape is often used to abort execution or data entry. When sent by the computer it often starts an escape sequence.
(1997-11-27)