cavale

flight

noun kah-VAL Rare

Also means

fugitive escape

Usage Note

Cavale in modern French means a fugitive run or an escape, especially from the police (être en cavale — to be on the run). It originally referred to a mare or spirited horse (une cavale in literary/archaic French), giving the sense of swift flight. The expression être en cavale appears frequently in crime fiction and news reports.

Examples

"Le suspect est en cavale depuis deux jours."

Natural Translation

The suspect has been on the run for two days.

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