elope
UK /ɪˈləʊp/ · US /ɪˈloʊp/ verb
Forms elopes eloping eloped ellope
- verb (intransitive) Of a married or engaged person, to run away from home with a paramour.
- verb (intransitive) Of an unmarried person, to run away secretly for the purpose of getting married with one's intended spouse; to marry in a quick or private fashion, especially without a public period of engagement.
- verb (intransitive, dated) Of an unmarried person, to run away secretly from home in order to get married without parental or guardian consent.
- verb (mental health) To escape from one's caretaker. “Six-year-old Casey eloped during recess and police found him watching traffic lights at the intersection.”
- verb (intransitive, dated) To run away from home (for any reason).
Synonyms
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman aloper (“to abduct, run away”), itself borrowed from Proto-West Germanic *andihlaupan (“to run away”). Equivalent to and- + lope as well as and- + leap (these being doublets). More at lope.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To run away, or escape privately, from the place or station to which one is bound by duty; --said especially of a woman or a man, either married or unmarried, who runs away with a paramour or a sweetheart.
Etymology [D. ontloopen to run away; pref. ont- (akin to G. ent-, AS. and-, cf. E. answer) + loopen to run; akin to E. leap. See Leap, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “elope”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details