elope

Verb

elope (third-person singular simple present elopes, present participle eloping, simple past and past participle eloped)

1. (intransitive) Of a married or engaged person, to run away from home with a paramour.
2. (intransitive) Of 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.
   • 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...
3. (dated, intransitive) Of 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
4. (mental health) To escape from one's caretaker.
   • Six-year-old Casey eloped during recess and police found him watching traffic lights at the intersection.
5. (dated, intransitive) To run away from home (for any reason).
   • 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...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...