different between elope vs flee

English

Alternative forms

• ellope (obsolete)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman aloper (“to abduct, run away”), from a Germanic source, either Middle Dutch ontlopen (“to run away”) or a predecessor thereof. Equivalent to and- +? lope as well as and- +? leap (these being doublets). Cognate with German entlaufen (“to escape”), Danish undløbe (“to run away”). More at lope.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l??p/, /??l??p/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??lo?p/, /??lo?p/
• Rhymes: -??p

Verb

elope (third-person singular simple present elopes, present participle eloping, simple past and past participle eloped)

1. (intransitive, of a married person) To run away from home with a paramour.
2. (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.
   • 1996, "Introduction", in The Piozzi Letters: Correspondence of Hester Lynch Piozzi, 1784-1821 (formerly Mrs. Thrale), Volume 4, 1805-1810 (eds. Edward A. Bloom & Lillian D. Bloom), Associated University Presses (1996), ?ISBN, page 30:

     Although Cecilia was the youngest of the surviving Thrale daughters, she had been the first to marry, eloping to Gretna Green in 1795 with John Meredith Mostyn of neighboring Llewesog Lodge. Both were underage.

   • 2009, Jan Springer, Intimate Stranger, Ellora's Cave (2009), ?ISBN, page 132:

     Although they had eloped in Vegas, she'd insisted he wear a tuxedo and she buy a wedding dress at one of the local stores.

   • 2012, Shirley Jump, One Day to Find a Husband, Harlequin (2012), ?ISBN, page 136:

     They knew each other for maybe a month before they eloped in Vegas.

3. (intransitive, dated) To run away from home (for any reason).
   • 1931, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Five Red Herrings

     If we'd been a bit quicker, we could have caught Gowan before he eloped

Derived terms

• elopement

Translations

Further reading

• elopement on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From Old English fl?on, from Proto-Germanic *fleuhan?, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk-, *plew- (“to fly, flow, run”).

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fli?/
• Rhymes: -i?
• Homophone: flea

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) To run away; to escape.
2. (transitive) To escape from.
3. (intransitive) To disappear quickly; to vanish.

Derived terms

• beflee

Related terms

• flight

Translations

Anagrams

• elfe, feel, fele, leef

Middle English

Noun

flee

1. Alternative form of fle

Scots

Alternative forms

• fle, flei

Etymology

From Middle English flye, from Old English fl??e, fl?oge, from Proto-Germanic *fleug?. Compare English fly, Dutch vlieg, German Fliege.

Noun

flee

1. fly