English

Verb

bug out ‎(third-person singular simple present bugs out, present participle bugging out, simple past and past participle bugged out)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To leave (a place) hastily (originally military).

   It's time I bugged out of this town, it ain't safe no more.

2. (idiomatic, intransitive) to abandon someone without warning.

   I'm not gonna bug out on you, I promise.

3. (idiomatic, intransitive) miss school, play truant, play hooky.

   I go to Stockton High, but normally I bug out.

4. (idiomatic, transitive, of one's eyes) To cause to bulge.

   Kim Goodman holds the world record for bugging out her eyes.

5. (idiomatic, computing) To crash or glitch.

   My PC keeps bugging out, for no reason it will reboot after a few hours.

Noun

bug out ‎(plural bug outs)

1. (military) A rapid retreat, a rout.

Synonyms

• retreat

References

1. ↑ “The term probably originated in World War II and came into wide use during the Korean War. By the mid-1950s it was also civilian slang.” Fighting Words: From War, Rebellion, and other Combative Capers by Christine Ammer (NTC Publishing Group, Chicago, Ill., 1989, 1999), page 44, quoted in The Phrase Finder, “Re: Bug out”, by ESC on April 23, 2004
2. ↑ Re: "Luke the gook," "Gook" and "Bug out", KOREAN-WAR-L, by John R. Carpenter, 5 Aug 2002