Main Entry: ¹ref·uge

Pronunciation: \ˈre-(ˌ)fyüj also -(ˌ)fyüzh\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin refugium, from refugere to escape, from re- + fugere to flee — more at fugitive

Date: 14th century

1 : shelter or protection from danger or distress
2 : a place that provides shelter or protection
3 : something to which one has recourse in difficulty