Words / B2

i-skay-PEE/ɪˌskeɪˈpiː/

An escapee is a person or animal that has escaped, especially from prison or captivity: an escapee; recapture the escapee. Fugitive is a close twin; escaper is rarer; runaway is everyday and wider. Name the escapee in the report, then the date. Mix-up: escapee vs escape as the event; escapee vs refugee (a person fleeing danger, not necessarily a prison break); do not write escapee for a tourist who left a hotel.

Meaning

A person or animal that has escaped, especially from prison or captivity.

Examples

• “Name the escapee in the report, then the date, not a film caption.”
• “An animal escapee featured in the zoo log, which is still a named species — quote the enclosure if given.”

Good to know

an escapee; recapture an escapee. Close: fugitive / runaway. Contrast: refugee. Trap: the escape event itself / a guest who checked out. Citizenship, news, and biology. Someone who got out — name who, from where, and when.

Near in meaning

fugitive, runaway, escaper

New