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Webster 1913 Edition

Evacuate

E-vac′u-ate

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Evacuated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Evacuating
.]
[l.
evacuatus
, p. p. of
evacuare
to empty, nullify;
e
out +
vacuus
empty,
vacare
to be empty. See
Vacate
.]
1.
To make empty; to empty out; to remove the contents of;
as, to
evacuate
a vessel or dish
.
2.
Fig.: To make empty; to deprive.
[R.]
Evacuate
the Scriptures of their most important meaning.
Coleridge.
3.
To remove; to eject; to void; to discharge, as the contents of a vessel, or of the bowels.
4.
To withdraw from; to quit; to retire from; as, soldiers from a country, city, or fortress.
The Norwegians were forced to
evacuate
the country.
Burke.
5.
To make void; to nullify; to vacate;
as, to
evacuate
a contract or marriage
.
[Obs.]
Bacon.

E-vac′u-ate

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To let blood
[Obs.]
Burton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Evacuate

EVAC'UATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. evacuo; e and vacuus, from vaco, to empty. See Vacant.]
1.
To make empty; to free from any thing contained; as, to evacuate the church.
2.
To throw out; to eject; to void; to discharge; as, to evacuate dark-colored matter from the bowels. Hence,
3.
To empty; to free from contents, or to diminish the quantity contained; as, to evacuate the bowels; to evacuate the vessels by bleeding.
4.
To quit; to withdraw from a place. The British army evacuated the city of New York, November 25,1783.
5.
To make void; to nullify; as, to evacuate a marriage or any contract. [In this sense, vacate is now generally used.]

Definition 2024

evacuate

evacuate

English

Verb

evacuate ‎(third-person singular simple present evacuates, present participle evacuating, simple past and past participle evacuated)

  1. To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from; as, soldiers from a country, city, or fortress.
    The firefighters told us to evacuate the area as the flames approached.
    • Burke
      The Norwegians were forced to evacuate the country.
  2. To cause 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. (figuratively) To make empty; to deprive.
    • Coleridge
      Evacuate the Scriptures of their most important meaning.
  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
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

Related terms

Translations

Italian

Verb

evacuate

  1. second-person plural present indicative of evacuare
  2. second-person plural imperative of evacuare
  3. feminine plural of evacuato

Latin

Verb

ēvacuāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of ēvacuō

Etymology

From Latin evacuare.

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