ESCAPE, a verb meaning to get away from, especially from impending danger or harm, to avoid capture, to regain one's lib erty after capture. As a substantive, "escape," in law, is the re gaining of liberty by one in custody contrary to due process of law (see RESCUE). "Escape" is used in botany of a cultivated plant found growing wild. The word is also used of a means of escape, e.g., "fire-escape," and of a loss or leakage of gas, cur rent of electricity or water.