Skedaddles

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To move quickly and hurriedly away; to depart in a sudden or hasty manner; to flee or escape from a situation or place swiftly
2. To take off rapidly, often in response to urgency; to vacate a scene quickly, indicating alarm or alarmed recognition; to dash away from an unwanted scenario
3. To make a quick exit, often with a sense of urgency; to vanish from sight in a hurried fashion; to escape from a location with notable speed

Etymology: "Skedaddles" is the plural of "skedaddle," a word that appeared in print around 1861, when the New York Tribune used it during the American Civil War. It spread quickly through military slang, where it described soldiers fleeing from a fight. Its origin is uncertain. It may be an alteration of the British dialect verb "scaddle," meaning to run off in a fright, which comes from an adjective meaning wild or skittish. That adjective traces back to a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse "skaði," meaning harm. A possible link to the Greek "skédasis," meaning scattering, has also been proposed.

Synonyms: flees, runs away

Antonyms: stays