flee

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old English flēon, from Proto-Germanic *fleuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk-, *plew- (to fly, flow, run).

Cognate with Dutch vlieden, German fliehen, Icelandic flýja, Swedish fly, Gothic 𐌸𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (þliuhan). Within English, related to fly and more distantly to flow.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

flee (third-person singular simple present flees, present participle fleeing, simple past and past participle fled)

  1. (intransitive) To run away; to escape.
    The prisoner tried to flee, but was caught by the guards.
  2. (transitive) To escape from.
    Many people fled the country as war loomed.
    Thousands of people moved northward trying to flee the drought.
    • 1962 October, “Talking of Trains: Passed to you, Mr. Macmillan”, in Modern Railways, page 220:
      The Government, having lit the fuse, is not going to be allowed to flee the explosion.
  3. (intransitive) To disappear quickly; to vanish.
    Ethereal products flee once freely exposed to air.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

flee

  1. Alternative form of fle

Scots[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English flye, from Old English flȳġe, flēoge, from Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ. Compare English fly, Dutch vlieg, German Fliege.

Noun[edit]

flee

  1. fly