French leave Hear it!

French leave definition

French leave

an unauthorized, unnoticed, or unceremonious departure; act of leaving secretly or in haste

Etymology: < 18th-c. custom, prevalent in France, of leaving receptions without taking leave of the host or hostess

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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