Furlough Definition
fûrlō
furloughed, furloughs
noun
furloughs
A leave of absence; esp., a leave granted to military enlisted personnel for a specified period.
Webster's New World
A usually temporary layoff from work.
American Heritage
A period of time, specif. a day (furlough day), in which business is suspended and employees are not paid, as a means to cut labor costs.
Webster's New World
A temporary leave of absence granted to a prisoner under special circumstances, such as the need to attend the funeral of a family member, or for a special purpose, such as participation in a work program.
American Heritage
The papers or documents authorizing a leave.
The soldiers had their furloughs in their breast pockets.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
- r-r
- rest and recuperation
- leave
- leave-of-absence
- inoccupation
- permit
- vacation
- layoff
- holiday
verb
furloughed
To grant a furlough to.
Webster's New World
To terminate the employment of (a worker).
American Heritage
To impose a furlough on (employees); esp., to lay off temporarily.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Origin of Furlough
-
From Dutch verlof, cognate with Danish forlov (“furlough”) (loaned from Middle Low German), German Verlaub (“permission”).
From Wiktionary
-
Alteration of vorloffe, furlogh from Dutch verlof from Middle Dutch leubh- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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