levant

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levant abscond, bolt; esp. of a debtor. XVIII. perh. f. levant in sl. phr. come the l., run or throw a l., make a bet with the intention of absconding if it is lost, ult. based on Levant, as in the F. phr. faire voile en Levant ‘to be stolne, filched, or purloyned away’ (Cotgr.). But cf. Sp. levantarse con algo seize something.

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