French leave
[ french-leev ]
noun
Sometimes Offensive. a departure without saying goodbye, asking permission, or giving notice: During the Civil War, many men deserted or took French leave.Early in the wedding reception I had to take French leave to address a family crisis.
Origin of French leave
1First recorded in 1765–75
Words Nearby French leave
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use French leave in a sentence
Some of them took "French leave," and visited their friends over the river.
The History of the Fifty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers | David Lathrop
British Dictionary definitions for French leave
French leave
noun
an unauthorized or unannounced absence or departure
Origin of French leave
1C18: alluding to a custom in France of leaving without saying goodbye to one's host or hostess
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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