Forms: α. 4–5 eschape, 6 Sc. eschaip, echap. See also ACHAPE, ASCHAPE, CHAPE, SCHAPE. β. (4 esscape, ? 5 eskepe, 6 eskape), 4– escape. See also ASCAPE, ATSCAPE, OFSCAPE, SCAPE. [ME. eschape is a. Central OF. eschaper (mod.F. échapper), and ME. escape is a. ONF. escaper (mod. Picard écaper), corresp. to Pr., Sp., Pg. escapar, It. scappare:—late L. type *excappāre, f. ex out + cappa cloak. (For the sense, Diez compares Gr. ἐκδύεσθαι to put off one’s clothes, to escape.) The earliest forms recorded in Eng. appear to be ASCAPE (after the ONF. variant ascaper) and the aphetic SCAPE, which occur in 13th c.; the former survived until 16th c.; the latter continued in ordinary use until 17th c., and as a poetic archaism (often written ’scape) is still employed. In 14th c. the forms of Central Fr. origin, eschape, ASCHAPE, ACHAPE, aphetically SCHAPE, CHAPE, are of frequent occurrence, esp. in northern writers, while in southern use the forms from Northern Fr., escape, ASCAPE, SCAPE, were more common. After 15th c. the former type is found only in Sc. writers, finally disappearing in 17th c. The forms ATSCAPE, OFSCAPE, occasional in 13–14th c., appear to be due to a confusion of the initial a- in ascape with the prepositional prefix in synonymous Eng. vbs.
In Fr. the vb. échapper has always remained intransitive. The development of the trans. senses in Eng. was assisted by the formal coincidence of the dative and the accusative: cf. also such constructions as ‘to be banished the country.’ Formerly the vb. was often conjugated with be, not only when intrans. (as still sometimes arch.) but also when transitive.]
1. intr. To gain one’s liberty by flight; to get free from detention or control, or from an oppressive or irksome condition. Const. from, † of, out of.
α. [1292. Britton, 27. Si il le face si negligaument garder qe il eschape.]
c. 1340. Cursor M., 5277 (Fairf.). Vnneþe eschaped I [Joseph, from the pit].
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxxii. (1890), 120. And alle thus eschaped dedalus oute of the pryson of Mynos kynge of Crete.
β. c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 201. Þat of his anguys grim so lightly was escaped.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2643, Hypermestre. Thow nescapist nought Out of my paleis, or that thou be deed. Ibid. (c. 1392), Compl. Venus, 50. For tescape [MS. T. teschape] oute of youre lace.
1529. More, Comf. agst. Trib., III. Wks. 1243/1. Such sure watch layd vpon him that he cannot eskape.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. ii. 73. He might put on a hat, a muffler, and a kerchiefe, and so escape.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., ix. (1738), 216. That it once had an inhabitant, and that he is escaped out of it.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xx. How we shall prevent the guilty person from escaping in the interim.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 91. The beast also escaped from before his eyes in the desert.
b. Of organisms, fluids, etc.: To issue, find egress, from some confining envelope or enclosure.
c. 1450. Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees), 4263. All þe bolnyng was eschaped.
1825. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 159. There is a cloth hood … to prevent the finer particles of flour from escaping.
1839. Todd, Cycl. Anat., II. 409/2. The young escape fully formed through stomachal orifice.
1849. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sc., xxxii. 362. Common electricity escapes when the pressure of the atmosphere is removed.
1882. Garden, 18 March, 189/2. At the time of flowering the leaves are only escaping from their buds.
c. Of time: To slip away. rare.
1836. Marryat, Japhet, lxxix. After two delightful hours had escaped, I returned home to the hotel.
† 2. trans. To effect one’s flight from (prison); to free oneself from (a person’s grasp or control); to get safely out of (painful or dangerous conditions).
α. c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2678. Þan may he eschape and passe lightly Þe bitter payn of purgatory.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 64. Thai tauld the king than hale the cas, And how that he eschapyt was.
β. 1393. Gower, Conf., II. 36. How they the prison might escape [in which they were then confined].
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 593. Suffre he shal grete travaile, And wele escape it he shal.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 228. The most tender … Plants did outlive and escape those rigorous seasons.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 14. Thee I re-visit now with bolder wing, Escap’t the Stygian Pool.
b. To issue unawares or involuntarily from (a person, his lips); to be uttered inadvertently by.
Perhaps the obj. was originally dative, in which case this use belongs historically to sense 1. Cf. Fr. il lui est échappé une sottise.
α. a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1020. That the no wordez eschape, whate so be-tydez.
β. 1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xix. (1865), 372. But his sea songs seldomer escape him.
1836. J. Grant, Random Recoll. Ho. Lords, xv. 366. Never did personality, or anything calumniatory of an opponent escape his lips.
1846. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., I. I. I. i. § 5. The feeling and fondness which I have for some works of modern art escape me sometimes where they should not.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., III. 191. No word of courtesy escaped his lips for some seconds.
3. intr. To get off safely when pursued or imperilled; to avoid capture, punishment, or any threatened evil; to go unhurt or unpunished.
α. c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxi. 139. Þai eschape with outen harme of body.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 36. Quha can eschaip? Ibid., 143. Præsumption of gods mercie to echap for sinne vnpunisched.
β. c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 122. Ȝif any lewed man laid hand opon clerk … He suld not escape.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 23322 (Fairf.). Þai ar escapid of þat care.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 654. But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde That slow the fyr and made hym to escape.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IX. xxv. (1495), 362. Whan nyght comyth vpon theim that ben in peryll of wracke, vnethe they may escape.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 1. Somtime their offences … escape vnpunished.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. v. 14. Yet not escaped from the due reward Of his bad deedes, which daily he increast.
1611. Bible, Acts xxvii. 44. They escaped all safe to land.
1618. Donne, Serm., cxliii. (1839), V. 560. It is ten to one he may escape with his life.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvii. 155. A man is assaulted, fears present death, from which he sees not how to escape.
1725. Watts, Logick, II. ii. § 1. 240 (J.). In Times of Confusion Laws are not executed: Men of Virtue are disgraced, and Murtherers escape.
1881. P. Brooks, Candle of Lord, 270. There are many troubles from which it is better for a man not to escape than to escape wrongly.
† b. To recover from dangerous sickness. Obs.
Cf. Fr. échapper, ‘se tirer d’une maladie, guérir’ (Littré).
1464. Paston Lett., No. 490, II. 160. He is ded, or ellys ryght seke and not lyke to eskape. Ibid. (1479), No. 836, III. 251. My grandam is dyssessed … Myn uncle had a Messenger ȝesterday that she shuld not escape.
4. trans. To get clear away from (pursuit or a pursuer); to elude (a person’s grasp); to succeed in avoiding (anything painful or unwelcome).
α. a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxxiii. 14. Turnynge fra ill eschapis dampnacioun.
1450. Somner, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 4. If he myght eschape the daunger of the Towr he should be saffe.
1549. Compl. Scot., Prol. (1873), 17. I hef rehersit thir vordis, in hope to eschaipt the detractione of invyful gramariaris.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 25. That ye may eschaip the dangerous thirldome and captivite of the devil.
β. 1393. Gower, Conf., III. 35. He may nought the deth escape.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.), p. lv. If the court were close continually Some men should escape great payne and misery.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. 1054. Thrice did my hands vain hold th’ image escape.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Worcester, xi. Shall not eskape Gods vengeaunce.
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 205. They might know that they were escaped a thousand deaths.
1597. Daniel, Civ. Wares (1609), VII. 16. His owne person eagerly pursu’d Hardly (by Boate) escap’t the multitude.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., C iiij. In a Work of this Nature it is impossible to escape Mistakes.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 96, ¶ 14. Truth was easily escaped by the oblique and desultory movements … which Falsehood always practised.
1751. Jortin, Serm. (1771), I. iii. 45. He seems to have escaped suspicion.
1870. L’Estrange, Miss Mitford, I. v. 120. They cannot expect to escape being laughed at.
5. To elude (observation, search, etc.); to elude the notice of (a person). Also absol.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., II. vii. (1611), 72. Many things may escape them.
1643. Denham, Cooper’s Hill, 7 (J.). Although their airie shap All but a quicke Poëticke sight escape.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, Pref. This History may suffer … by the Faults escap’d the Press.
1698. Ludlow, Mem., I. 122. Things … so well conceeal’d that they escaped the Search of the Enemy.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 129, ¶ 3. I … have leisure to make many Observations that escape the Notice of my Fellow-Travellers.
1821. J. Q. Adams, in Davies, Metric Syst., III. (1871), 174. It cannot escape observation, that [etc.].
1847. L. Hunt, Jar Honey, Pref. (1848), p. xii. How came Shakspeare to let such a subject escape him?
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. xxxii. 416. A fact, the significance of which had previously escaped me.
b. To elude (a person’s recollection).
1696. Hope, trans. Solleysel’s Mareschal, 4. Lest it might have escaped my memory, I here set it down.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. ii. The name of which escapes me.
Mod. The matter quite escaped my memory.
