Definition of 'escape'

Noun

1. 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
2. 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
3. the unwanted 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: leak leakage outflow
4. 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
      Synonyms: safety valve relief valve escape valve escape cock
5. 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: evasion dodging
6. an avoidance of danger or difficulty; "that was a narrow escape"
7. a means or way of escaping; "hard work was his escape from worry"; "they installed a second hatch as an escape"; "their escape route"
8. a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild

Verb

1. run away from confinement; "The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison"
      Synonyms: get away break loose
2. fail to experience; "Fortunately, I missed the hurricane"
      Synonyms: miss
3. 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 off get away get by get out
4. be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
      Synonyms: elude
5. issue or leak, as from a small opening; "Gas escaped into the bedroom"
6. 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
7. flee; take to one's heels; cut and run; "If you see this man, run!"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up"
      Synonyms: scat run scarper turn tail lam run away hightail it bunk head for the hills take to the woods fly the coop break away

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