the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The act of eloping; secret departure; -- said of a woman and a man, one or both, who run away from their homes for marriage or for cohabitation.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A running away; an escape; private or unlicensed departure from the place or station to which one is bound by duty or law: specifically applied to the running away of a woman, married or unmarried, with a lover.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. the act of running away with a lover (usually to get married)
Word Usage
"Kalash tribeswomen also have much more social freedom than many of their Pakistani counterparts; for instance, marriage-by-elopement is a custom and a celebration, even involving women who are already married."