Also 5 evasyown, 6 evacion, -tion. [a. Fr. évasion, ad. late L. ēvāsiōn-em, n. of action f. ēvādĕre: see EVADE.]
1. The action of escaping from confinement or danger; escape.
Now rare, exc. in writers influenced by Fr. usage.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 306. Al that tyme fro his [Oldcastle’s] evasion [from the Tower] about Myhilmesse onto the Ephihanie.
1601. Bp. Barlow, Defence Prot. Relig., 175. By hope of euasion from Purgatorie in time.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus iii. 4. 632. In any miserie we shall haue assured felicitie,… in temptation assurance of euasion.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., III. xi. 31. The next fair river all the rest exceeding, Topping the hill, breaks forth in fierce evasion.
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr., II. lii. 29. Contemplating the happy evasion he had made from the cabinets at Frankfort.
1834. Blackw. Mag., XXXV. 618/2. An account of the evasion of Louis XVI., and the arrest of the unfortunate monarch at Varennes.
1871. H. Ainsworth, Tower Hill, II. x. The plan of evasion was frustrated by the prisoner’s irresolution.
† b. Means, opportunity, or way of escape. Obs.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), III. 271/1. [God] in the midst of the Temptation will make such an evasion, as [etc.].
1613. Heywood, Brazen Age, Wks. 1874, III. 211. Ere you enwrap your selfe into these perils, Whence there is no euasion.
1650. Sc. Metr. Ps. lxxxviii. 8. So Shut up, that I find no evasion for me.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), IX. 250. The unhappy woman, who found herself without evasion or resource, swallowed the draught.
2. The action of avoiding or escaping (a blow, missile, pursuit, etc.) by artifice or contrivance.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 11. In a storm they [Bees] will help themselves by flying under the Lee-side of an hedge, [etc.]…. But if it bee a plain Champaign Country, where evasions avail nothing; then [etc.].
1822. Forsyth, Roland’s Mod. Art Fencing, 201. Evasion means to avoid being reached by a thrust, even when you are near enough to receive it.
3. The action of evading (a duty, law, requisition, an argument, charge, etc.); dodging, prevarication, shuffling. Also, an instance of this.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. i. 51. No more euasion: We haue with leauen’d, and prepared choice Proceeded to you, therefore take your honors.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 139. For, perhaps he said so only for evasion, being old excellent at parrying and fencing.
1685. H. More, Paralip. Prophet., 447. There is no evasion from the strength of this Argument.
1711. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 210. But this I looked on as Evasion.
1746. Wesley, Princ. Methodist, 9. ‘I have found this, in many of you,’ i. e. much Subtlety, much Evasion, and Disguise.’
1783. Burke, Rep. Affairs India, Wks. XI. 53. He was ordered at once to furnish 5,000 horse … ‘on evasion’ he was declared a violator of treaties.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), V. 376. To do it … is artifice and evasion.
1846. Prescott, Ferd. & Is., I. vii. 326. If the prisoner … was suspected of evasion, he was subjected to the torture.
a. 1862. Buckle, Misc. Wks. (1872), I. 71. I deem anonymous writing of every kind to be an evasion of responsibility.
1868. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., I. 59. The king’s licence for the evasion of the act.
b. The means of evading; an evasive argument, shuffling excuse, subterfuge.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. i. 112. And be the text þai decerne all thai casis, but exceptyown: By that is nane evasyown.
a. 1533. Frith, Disput. Purgat. I say that this their evasion is nothing worth.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 669. The prohibition goeth before the vowe, wherefore this euation can haue no place.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. III. xiii. (1651), 118. The meaner sort have no evasion why they should not be counted mad.
1777. Priestley, Philos. Necess., ii. 19. By such poor evasions do some persons think to shelter themselves from the force of conviction.
1845. Sarah Austin, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Ref., I. 451. A miserable evasion, which did not in the least touch the assertion of his adversary.
1874. Green, Short Hist., iv. 171. The towns … could generally force the Crown by evasions and delays to a compromise.
4. In primary Latin sense: Going out, exit, sallying forth. rare.
a. 1659. Osborn, Queries, Wks. (1673), 605. And from this the whole World comes to be so universally Inhabited, Every Family seeking rest by Evasion.
1669. Flamsteed, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men (1841), II. 81. In the eclipse he ought to observe the spurious and the true shades, and their evasions from the moon’s superficies.
1837. De Quincey, Revolt Tartars, Wks. IV. 144. If the Kalmuck evasion should prosper.
