elude

From Latin ēlūdō (“evade, elude”), from ē (“out of”), short form of ex, + lūdō (“play; trick”).

• (Received Pronunciation, faded in Canada mid-20th c.) IPA^(key): /ɪˈljuːd/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): [ɪˈlʉwd]
• (MLE) IPA^(key): /ɪˈlyːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪˈlud/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ɪˈluːd/
• (Wales, Ottawa Valley) IPA^(key): /ɪˈlɪu̯d/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Homophones: allude, illude (weak vowel merger)

elude (third-person singular simple present eludes, present participle eluding, simple past and past participle eluded)

1. (transitive) To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 26:

     Thus the observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.

   • 1951 August, P. W. Gentry, “Cliff Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 516:

     The line continued in operation until about 1908, but the precise date of closure has eluded research.

   • 2021 May 29, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎:

     It leaves City still searching for the Champions League, the trophy that has always eluded them

2. (transitive) To shake off (a pursuer); to give someone the slip.
   • 2012 December 29, Paul Doyle, “Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle”, in The Guardian‎:

     Podolski gave Walcott a chance to further embellish Arsenal's first-half performance when he eluded James Perch and slipped the ball through to the striker.

3. (transitive) To escape being understandable to; to be incomprehensible to.

   I get algebra, but calculus eludes me.

4. (transitive) To escape someone's memory, to slip someone's mind.

   The solution of that brainteaser eludes me and the name of the author eludes my memory too.

• Deuel

elude

1. genitive plural of elu

• IPA^(key): /eˈlu.de/
• Rhymes: -ude
• Hyphenation: e‧lù‧de

elude

1. third-person singular present indicative of eludere

• edule

ēlūde

1. second-person singular present active imperative of ēlūdō

elude

1. inflection of eludir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• IPA^(key): /eˈlude/ [eˈlu.ð̞e]
• Rhymes: -ude
• Syllabification: e‧lu‧de

elude

1. inflection of eludir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative