bugout

[buhg-out]

noun

1. Military Slang.,  a hasty retreat from combat, especially in defiance of orders.

2. Slang.,  a person who is willfully absent from duties or obligations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bugout¹

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

Example Sentences

Your bugout bag might be stocked better than anyone you know, and your wilderness training may be top-notch.

Read more on Salon

On Jan. 11, another Oath Keeper, Jessica Watkins of Ohio, allegedly messaged a co-conspirator: “We’ve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed. . .Something like 20+ Oathkeepers going to Kentucky mountains on hundreds of acres apparently.”

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“We’ve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed,” the person’s Facebook message said.

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People in prison use the word “bugout” to refer to those with serious mental illness.

Read more on New York Times

In a separate filing issued on Wednesday, prosecutors revealed evidence that two of Mr. Meggs’s co-defendants in the Oath Keepers case, Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl — both Ohio residents — swapped messages on Facebook just days after the Capitol attack, discussing a “bugout plan” if then-President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. actually took office.

Read more on New York Times