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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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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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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

bugleweed, bug light, bugloss, bug off, bugong, bugout, bugs, bugsha, buhl, buhr, buhrstone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to bugout

bloat, protrude, swell, break down, collapse, flip, flee, fly, leave, move, pass, progress, retire, travel, bulge, bag, balloon, beetle, billow, dilate

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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