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defilare

to march past

verb deh-fee-LAH-reh Rare

Origin: From French 'défiler', to file past, from 'fil' (thread/line).

Also means

to slip away

Usage Note

Defilare has two distinct uses: in a military or ceremonial context it means to march in a procession or file past a reviewing stand; colloquially, the reflexive defilarsi means to quietly slip away or make oneself scarce. The two senses are worth keeping distinct. Auxiliary is avere in the transitive sense, essere for defilarsi.

Examples

"Le truppe defilarono davanti al generale."

Natural Translation

The troops marched past the general.

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