fur·lough /ˈfɜːləʊ $ ˈfɜːrloʊ/ noun [countableC, uncountableU] 1 PERIOD OF TIMEa period of time when a soldier or someone working in another country can return to their own country 〔在国外服役的士兵或国外工作人员的〕休假期 SYN leave a young soldier home on furlough 回国休假的年轻士兵
2 American EnglishAmE a period of time when workers are told not to work, especially because there is not enough money to pay them 停工期,歇工期〔尤因发不出工资〕 → layoff workers forced to take a long, unpaid furlough 被迫长期停薪休假的工人
3 American EnglishAmE a short period of time during which a prisoner is allowed to leave prison before returning 〔犯人的〕准假期 Morton stabbed the man while on furlough. 莫顿在准假期间用刀捅了人。
—furlough verb [transitiveT] American EnglishAmE 280,000 federal workers have been furloughed. 28万联邦雇员被迫休假。
on furlough• The men on furlough returned with bright faces.• They will live in barracks, eat food from local butchers, bakeries and dairies, and visit town on furlough.• Horton escaped while on furlough and stabbed a man and raped a woman in Maryland.