/i vak"yooh ayt'/ , v. , evacuated, evacuating .
v.t.
1. to leave empty; vacate.
2. to remove (persons or things) from a place, as a dangerous place or disaster area, for reasons of safety or protection: to evacuate the inhabitants of towns in the path of a flood.
3. to remove persons from (a city, town, building, area, etc.) for reasons of safety: to evacuate the embassy after a bomb threat.
4. Mil.
a. to remove (troops, wounded soldiers, civilians, etc.) from a war zone, combat area, etc.
b. to withdraw from or quit (a town, fort, etc., that has been occupied).
5. Physiol. to discharge or eject as through the excretory passages, esp. from the bowels.
6. to deprive: Fear evacuated their minds of reason.
7. to produce a vacuum in.
v.i.
8. to leave a place because of military or other threats.
9. to void; defecate.
[ 1350-1400; ME evacuatus (ptp. of evacuare to empty out, equiv. to e- E- + vacuare to empty); see VACUUM, -ATE 1 ]
Syn. 1. empty, void, drain.