French leave
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
to leave a place without permission or notice
rời khỏi một nơi mà không được phép hoặc không thông báo
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
To take French leave; to go off without taking leave of the company: a saying frequently applied to persons who have run away from their creditors.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
TO TAKE, to leave or depart slyly, without saying anything; or obtaining permission.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “French leave” mean?
to leave a place without permission or notice Literally: leave taken by a French person
Is “French leave” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.