furlough
pronunciation
How to pronounce furlough in British English:
UK [ˈfɜ:ləʊ]
How to pronounce furlough in American English:
US [ˈfɜrloʊ]
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- Noun:
- a temporary leave of absence from military duty
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- Verb:
- dismiss, usually for economic reasons
- grant a leave to
Word Origin
- furlough (n.)
- 1620s, vorloffe, from Dutch verlof, literally "permission," from Middle Dutch ver- "completely, for" + laf, lof "permission," from Proto-Germanic *laubo- (see leave (v.)). The -gh spelling predominated from 1770s and represents the "f" that had been pronounced at the end of the word but disappeared fairly soon thereafter in English.
- furlough (v.)
- 1783, "grant leave of absence" (to a soldier), from furlough (n.). Of employees, "lay off or suspend temporarily," by 1940. Related: Furloughed; furloughing.
Synonym
Example
- 1. To close a $ 688 million budget gap , the governor announced the most drastic furlough program in the country .
- 2. A handful of states have sacked workers ; many more have frozen hiring or are asking workers to take furlough ( compulsory unpaid leave ) .
- 3. My employer is forcing me to take a two-day , unpaid furlough each month .
- 4. The oecd says 22 out of 29 of its member countries have extended support for workers on furlough , and 16 have cut payroll taxes and other social contributions .
- 5. At the time , he was still working as a parole officer for the state and he was taking one of the prisoners , who must have been out on furlough , back to the penitentiary .