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absquatulate

(intransitive, slang) To leave quickly or in a hurry; to depart, flee.

æbˈskwɑt͡ʃ.ʊ.leɪtDocumented since 1830sSilenthistoricalHistorical269 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1830 · 2 years of recorded use
1830Born2011: 1 citation2023: 1 citationToday, 2026

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#1·Apr 26, 2026Global

(intransitive, slang) To leave quickly or in a hurry; to depart, flee.

Why, I expect in a year or two to see coffins introduced into the parlors of the Fifth Avenue, and to find them, when their owners fail or absquatulate, advertised for sale at auction, with the rest of the household furniture, at a great…
Origin: Attested since the 1830s in American English, a jocular mock-Latin word. , as away (from) (as in abscond) + squat + *-ulate (as in perambulate, properly -ate), hence meaning “get up (from a squat) and depart (quickly)”. The middle portion was perhaps influenced by (frequentative) and the dialectal term depart; compare contemporary skedaddle. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"absquatulate" means to leave quickly or in a hurry; to depart, flee. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

For ESL learners

"absquatulate" is informal English meaning to leave quickly or in a hurry; to depart, flee. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to leave quickly or in a hurry" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "absquatulate" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.

Cluster: leave
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For specific readers

"absquatulate" means to leave quickly or in a hurry; to depart, flee. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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