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bugout

[ buhg-out ]
/ ˈbʌgˌaʊt /
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noun
Military Slang. a hasty retreat from combat, especially in defiance of orders.
Slang. a person who is willfully absent from duties or obligations.
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Origin of bugout

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; noun use of verb phrase bug out “leave”

Words nearby bugout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for bugout

bug out

verb
(intr, adverb) slang, mainly US to depart hurriedly; run away; retreat
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with bugout

bug out

1

Bulge, as in The news will make her eyes bug out with astonishment. This expression was originally used literally for bulging eyes and later used more loosely as a sign of astonishment. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

2

Leave, run out, as in This conference is a bore; I think I'll bug out. This usage originated as military slang for deserting and today is used more loosely. [Slang; c. 1950]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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