v. [ad. L. ēlūdĕ-re, f. ē out + lūdĕre to play.]
† 1. a. To befool, delude. (Partly confused with ILLUDE.) b. To baffle, disappoint. Obs.
1538. Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 75. The people had bene eluded and caused to doe great idolatrie.
1594. West, Symbol., II. § 173. A witch or hagg is she which being eluded by a league made with the devil thinketh, [etc.].
1656. Milton, Lett. State, Wks. 1738, II. 196. If that hope fail em, eluded and frustrated where at length to find a resting-place they know not.
† c. To wile away (tedium). Obs.
1660. R. Coke, Justice Vind., 12. Men seek company to divert themselves, so to elude the length of time.
2. To escape by dexterity or stratagem (a blow, attack, danger or difficulty).
163446. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), 141. Murderers, adulterers, &c., labours to elude discipline by fleeing from place to place.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., II. xxxiii. (1683), 481 (R.). The stroke of humane law may often be evaded by power, or eluded by slight, by gift, by favour.
171520. Pope, Iliad, III. 444. The wary Trojan, bending from the blow Eludes the death.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 2478. The difficulties which they rather had eluded than escaped, meet them again in their course.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb. (1861), 161. A thousand devices prepared him to elude the wound.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, I. 250. It was agreed, that, to elude the bad omen, the new King should assume the name of Robert.
b. To evade the force of (an argument).
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 6 (1619), 102. Others seeking to elude this text say [etc.].
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1669), 375. Men are grown witty enough to elude what they cannot despise.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth (1722), 27. The Holy Books ought not to be tormented or eluded.
1710. Luttrell, Brief. Rel. (1857), VI. 625. All which the Paris letters of the 1st seem to elude.
1841. DIsraeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 415. He thus adroitly eludes an argument which [etc.].
3. To evade compliance with or fulfilment of (a law, order, demand, request, obligation, etc.).
1651. Hobbes, Govt. & Soc., xviii. § 13. 360. He would elude that obedience which he hath contracted to yeeld.
1698. Sidney, Disc. Govt., iii. § 27 (1704), 344. He that dos by art obliquely elude, confesses he has not a right absolutely to refuse.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 6, ¶ 13. The Pope uses all imaginable shifts to elude the Treaty.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. X. 192. He wished to have eluded the obligation of his oath.
1837. Thirlwall, Greece, VIII. 381. A cavil was now devised to elude this title.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 69. How comes law to bear eluding?
4. To slip away from, escape adroitly from (a persons grasp or pursuit, lit. and fig.); to evade (curiosity, vigilance, etc.).
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 158. Of these the vigilance I dread, and to elude, thus wrapt in mist glide obscure.
1766. Goldsmith, Vic. W., xxix. (1857), 210. Providence has thought fit to elude our curiosity.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, iv. 42. An idea which, like the glittering gem of the Arabian tale, ever eludes the grasp.
1879. Harlan, Eyesight, iii. 35. The something that evolves thought and reasonlike an ignis fatuus, eludes the grasp of science.
b. Hence, To elude a person: to escape his embrace, grasp, pursuit.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, X. 411. Lest he elude us, and escape to Troy.
1813. H. & J. Smith, Horace in Lond., 156. The jilt [wit] in spite Eludes the man of letters.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr. (1858), 297. He eludes thee like a Spirit.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xvii. 286. Ambiorix had as yet eluded him.
5. Of things: To elude enquiry, notice, observation, etc.: to remain undiscovered or unexplained.
1791. Boswell, Johnson (1816), II. 358, note. This celebrated Epitaph has eluded a very diligent enquiry.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. § 3. 243. The total absorption being so small as to elude even Mellonis delicate tests.
1878. Tait & Stewart, Unseen Univ., vi. § 178. 181. So infinitesimally small as to elude our observation.
Hence Eluded ppl. a., Eluding vbl. sb.
1703. Pope, Thebais, 303. Th eluded rage of Jove. Ibid. (1725), Odyss., XVI. 495. Th eluded suitors stem the watry way.
1737. Johnson, in Boswell (1816), I. 87. A feeble government, eluded laws.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., v. 121. A triumphant eluding of his purpose.