evacuate
Etymology

From Latin evacuare.

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/
Verb

evacuate (evacuates, present participle evacuating; simple past and past participle evacuated)

  1. (transitive) To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from
    the soldiers evacuated the fortress
    The firefighters told us to evacuate the area as the flames approached.
    • 1757, Edmund Burke, The Abridgement of the History of England:
      The Norwegians were forced to evacuate the country.
  2. To cause (or help) to leave or withdraw from.
    The firefighters decided to evacuate all the inhabitants from the street.
  3. To make empty; to empty out; to remove the contents of, including to create a vacuum.
    The scientist evacuated the chamber before filling it with nitrogen.
  4. (figurative) To make empty; to deprive.
    • 1825, James Marsh, Preliminary Essay to Aids to Reflection:
      Evacuate the Scriptures of their most important doctrines.
  5. To remove; to eject; to void; to discharge, as the contents of a vessel, or of the bowels.
  6. To make void; to nullify; to vacate.
    to evacuate a contract or marriage
    • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC ↗:
      it would not evacuate a marriage after cohabitation and actual consummation
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