elope

present singular third person elopes · participle present eloping · participle past eloped · past eloped · alternative obsolete ellope

1. intransitiveOf a married or engaged person, to run away from home with a paramour.
2. intransitiveOf an unmarried person, to run away secretly for the purpose of getting married with one's intended spouse; to marry in a quick or private fashion, especially without a public period of engagement.

   They knew each other for maybe a month before they eloped in Vegas.

   2012, Shirley Jump, One Day to Find a Husband, Harlequin, published 2012, →ISBN, page 136

   4 more examples

   My younger sister has left all her friends-- has eloped; has thrown herself into the power of-- of Mr. Wickham.

   1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

   Although Cecilia was the youngest of the surviving Thrale daughters, she had been the first to marry, eloping to Gretna Green in 1795 with John Meredith Mostyn of neighboring Llewesog Lodge. Both were underage.

   1996, “Introduction”, in Edward A. Bloom, Lillian D. Bloom, editors, The Piozzi Letters: Correspondence of Hester Lynch Piozzi, 1784-1821 (formerly Mrs. Thrale), Volume 4, 1805-1810, Associated University Presses, →ISBN, page 30

   "[Molly:] —It was the same last time [You-Know-Who] was powerful, people eloping left right and centre– —Including you and Dad, said Ginny slyly."

   2005, J. K. Rowling, “An Excess of Phlegm” (chapter 5), in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter; 6), Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, →ISBN, page 92

   Although they had eloped in Vegas, she'd insisted he wear a tuxedo and she buy a wedding dress at one of the local stores.

   2009, Jan Springer, Intimate Stranger, Ellora's Cave, published 2009, →ISBN, page 132

3. datedintransitiveOf an unmarried person, to run away secretly from home in order to get married without parental or guardian consent.

   '[…] We were within a few hours of eloping together for Scotland. The treachery, or the folly, of my cousin's maid betrayed us. I was banished to the house of a relation far distant, and she was allowed no liberty, no society, no amusement, till my father's point was gained […]'

   1811, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: abscond, run away

4. mental healthTo escape from one's caretaker.

   Six-year-old Casey eloped during recess and police found him watching traffic lights at the intersection.

5. datedintransitiveTo run away from home (for any reason).

   If we’d been a bit quicker, we could have caught Gowan before he eloped[…].

   1931, Dorothy L[eigh] Sayers, “The Murderer”, in The Five Red Herrings, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC, page 306

   2 more examples

   He had been intended by his father for trade, but his spirit, soaring above the occupation for which he was designed, from repining led him to resist, and from resisting, to rebel. He eloped from his friends, and contrived to enter the army.

   1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia

   That horrid girl of mine has been trying to run away. I had not a notion of her being such a little devil before, she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness; but on receiving the letter in which I declared my intention about Sir James, she actually attempted to elope; at least, I cannot otherwise account for her doing it. She meant, I suppose, to go to the Clarks in Staffordshire, for she has no other acquaintances.

   c. 1794, Jane Austen, “[Lady Susan.] XVI. Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson.”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 234–235