Decamp
/dɪˈkæmp/noun
To leave a place suddenly or secretly, especially to avoid trouble or obligation.
Did you know?Decamp comes from the French phrase *dé- + camp* (“un-camp”), originally meaning to break camp, and it kept the feeling of a swift, almost tactical departure.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
campus
“an open field or plain”
Early Medieval Latin
Latin
campare
“to encamp or take up camp”
Old French
OF
descamper
“to break camp, depart”
15th Century
English
decampen
“to break camp; leave a place”
Modern English
English
decamp
“to leave suddenly or secretly”