See Also: refugee(1)(dictionary)
refugee(2)(dictionary)
refugee(encyclopedia)
refugee(dictionary)
Refugee(law)
International Refugee Organization (IRO)(encyclopedia)

refugee(1) (iou)



refugee noun & adjective. L17.
[French refugie pa. pple of (se) refugier take refuge, from refuge, the ending assim. to -EE1.]
A. noun.
A person driven from his or her home to seek refuge, esp. in a foreign country, from war, religious persecution, political troubles, natural disaster, etc.; a displaced person. Orig. (spec.), any of the French Huguenots who came to England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. L17.
L. Strachey The swarms of refugees, who fled eastward over Germany as the French power advanced. P. Mailloux When the Nazis invaded..she..harboured refugees in her home.
b. A runaway; a fugitive. rare. M18.
US History. = COWBOY noun 2. L18.
b. attrib. or as adjective. Designating or pertaining to a refugee or refugees. E18.
refugee capital = hot money s.v. HOT adjective.
Observer I travelled in a refugee train..taking 700 homeless wanderers..to Courtrai. Peace News The British government..refuses to give him refugee status.
refugeedom noun the condition of a refugee M19.
refugeeism noun (rare) = refugeedom L19.