evacuate
English meaning: Evacuate
Definition
To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from
Example
“The firefighters told us to evacuate the area as the flames approached.”
Another example: “Crews worked quickly to evacuate the smoke-filled stadium.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A verb meaning to leave or clear a place because of danger, or to remove people from such a place; in medicine it can mean to empty (e.g. the bowels). Common in emergency, military and news contexts ('evacuate the building'). Neutral to formal register.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Latin 'evacuare' (to empty out), from 'e-' (out) + 'vacuus' (empty); in English from the 16th century.
Related Words
- evacuation
- evacuated
- wounded
- stranded
- flooding
- casualties
- flooded
- homes
- floods
- refugees
Common Collocations
- evacuate the area
- evacuate residents
- ordered to evacuate
- evacuate the building
- safely evacuate
- evacuate immediately
Word Forms
evacuate (v); evacuated; evacuating; evacuation (n); evacuee (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B