safe-conduct

See also: safe conduct

English

Etymology

Attested as early as the 14th century in Robert of Gloucerster's chronicles written in Middle English; ultimately a calque of Old French sauf-conduit.

Pronunciation

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Noun

safe-conduct (plural safe-conducts)

1. A document that grants safe passage through enemy territory in times of war.

   Synonym: (obsolete) passe-partout

2. A convoy or guard to protect a person in a foreign country.

Translations

document

• Catalan: salconduit (ca) m
• Dutch: vrijgeleide (nl) n
• French: sauf-conduit (fr) m
• German: freies Geleit n
• Ido: salvoletro
• Italian: salvacondotto (it) m
• Portuguese: salvo-conduto (pt) m
• Serbo-Croatian: propusnica (sh) f
• Spanish: salvoconducto (es) m

Verb

safe-conduct (third-person singular simple present safe-conducts, present participle safe-conducting, simple past and past participle safe-conducted)

1. (obsolete) To guarantee safe passage by granting such a document.
   • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:

     Who […] Haue paſt the armie of the mightie Turke:
     Bearing his priuie ſignet and his hand,
     To ſafe conduct vs thorow Affrica: […]

Anagrams

• confuscated