evacuation

Noun

evacuation (countable and uncountable, plural evacuations)

1. The act of evacuating; leaving a place in an orderly fashion, especially for safety.
   • The peak of the record-breaking month came during the fourth week, when the railways were called upon to handle the transport side of the official evacuation from the London area. During the first seven days of this evacuation, 175 special trains left the main London termini carrying mothers and...1944 September and October, “A Busy Month”, in Railway Magazine, page 259
   • Roads on either side of the river Rhine will be closed as authorities seal off the large evacuation zone. The Unesco World Heritage Cologne Cathedral sits just outside the area.2025 June 4, Alex Croft, “Around 20,000 evacuated in Cologne as major bomb defusal operation underway”, in The Independent, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025, retrieved 20 Feb 2026
2. Withdrawal of troops or civils from a town, country, fortress, etc.
   • The operating difficulties of this evacuation movement were further intensified by the fact that Sunday, June 2, saw the movement of nearly 48,000 children in 70 trains from Kentish and other East Coast towns, and 32 of these trains originated on the Southern Railway. [...] Moreover, during the...1940 July, “Notes and News: A Magnificent Transport Achievement”, in Railway Magazine, page 420
3. The act of emptying, clearing of the contents, or discharging, including creating a vacuum.
4. Voidance of any matter by the natural passages of the body or by an artificial opening; defecation; urination; also, a diminution of the fluids of an animal body by cathartics, venesection, or other means.
   • A large evening meal, deep sleep in a better bed than hers, a full evacuation, a hot bath (her own house had only a cold shower), a breakfast of bacon and eggs and sausages from Crabbe's boy — these had smoothed and restored her.1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 561
5. That which is evacuated or discharged; especially, a discharge by stool, urine or other natural means.
   • The Abſcess being broken an Ulcer is left behind, which may be known by the Evacuation of Matter by Vomit and Stool1685, John Pechey, The Storehouse of Physical Practice
6. Abolition; nullification.
   • evacuation of all Romish ceremonies[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)