Exfiltration




Evelyn wrote that she heard this on CNN the other day: “Two NCIS agents assisted in the exfiltration of the wounded officer.”

Exfiltration is the opposite of infiltration. It was built from ex-, out of, and -filtr-, which basically meant a filter. Originally, filter referred to felt, a cloth made of wool or wool plus hair. It was compacted by rolling and pressure.

Liquids were poured through a filter in order to remove impurities. It eventually picked up a military application: to withdraw troops or spies from a dangerous position, often surreptitiously.  The U.S. Department of Defense’s 1968  Dictionary of  U.S. Military Terms defined exfiltration as “the removal of personnel or units from areas under enemy control.”

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