decamp

verb

de·​camp di-ˈkamp How to pronounce decamp (audio)
dē-
decamped; decamping; decamps

intransitive verb

1
: to break up a camp
2
: to depart suddenly : abscond
decampment noun

Examples of decamp in a Sentence

She took the papers and decamped. He decamped to Europe soon after news of the scandal broke.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jaffer Zaidi, Google global vice president of news partnerships, who is normally based in New York, decamped to Sacramento for two to three weeks as the deal came together, according to another person familiar with the matter. Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024 The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, who has decamped to run in the 1st District to give himself a better shot at reelection. Cooper Burton, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2024 During the summers, our family decamped from the apartment in New York to a house that my parents had built on an island in Maine, which my father had first visited as a bachelor. Sage Mehta, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Many of those journalists had lost work in 1957 when the Dodgers and Giants decamped for California. Nick Hirshon, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decamp 

Word History

Etymology

French décamper, from Middle French descamper, from des- de- + camper to camp

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decamp was in 1676

Dictionary Entries Near decamp

Cite this Entry

“Decamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decamp. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

decamp

verb
de·​camp di-ˈkamp How to pronounce decamp (audio)
1
: to pack up gear and leave a camp
2
: to depart suddenly : abscond
decamped with the funds
decampment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decamp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!