Es*cape" , n. (Bot.) A plant which has escaped from cultivation.
Es*cape" , n.
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.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm.
Ps. lv. 8.
2. That which escapes attention or restraint; a mistake; an
oversight; also, transgression. [Obs.]
I should have been more accurate, and corrected all those former
escapes.
Burton.
3. A sally. "Thousand
escapes of wit."
Shak.
4. (Law)
The unlawful permission, by a jailer or other custodian, of a prisoner's departure from custody.
&fist;
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.
5. (Arch.) An apophyge.
6. Leakage or outflow, as of steam or a liquid.
7. (Elec.) Leakage
or loss of
currents from the conducting
wires, caused by defective
insulation.
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.
Es*cape" , v. i. 1. To
flee, and become secure from danger; -- often followed by from or out of.
Haste, for thy life escape, nor look behind&?;&?;
Keble. 2. To get clear from danger or evil of any form; to be passed without harm.
Such heretics . . . would have been thought fortunate, if they escaped with life.
Macaulay. 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.
To escape out of these meshes.
Thackeray.
Es*cape" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Escaped (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Escaping.]
[OE. escapen, eschapen, OF. escaper,
eschaper, F. echapper, fr. LL. ex cappa out of one's cape or cloak; hence, to slip out of one's cape and escape. See 3d Cape, and cf. Scape, v.]
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.
2.
To avoid the notice of; to pass
unobserved by; to evade; as, the
fact escaped our attention.
They escaped the search of the
enemy.
Ludlow.
Hear it pronounced