Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Refuge \Ref"uge\ (r?f"?j), n. [F. r['e]fuge, L. refugium, fr.
   refugere to flee back; pref. re- + figere. SEe {Fugitive}.]
   1. Shelter or protection from danger or distress.

            Rocks, dens, and caves! But I in none of these Find
            place or refuge.                      --Milton.

            We might have a strong consolation, who have fled
            for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
                                                  --Heb. vi. 18.

   2. That which shelters or protects from danger, or from
      distress or calamity; a stronghold which protects by its
      strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its
      sacredness; a place inaccessible to an enemy.

            The high hills are a refuger the wild goats. --Ps.
                                                  civ. 18.

            The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed.
                                                  --Ps. ix. 9.

Refuge \Ref"uge\ (r?f"?j), v. t.
   To shelter; to protect. [Obs.]

Source : WordNet®

refuge
     n 1: a safe place; "He ran to safety" [syn: {safety}]
     2: something or someone turned to for assistance or security;
        "his only recourse was the police"; "took refuge in lying"
        [syn: {recourse}, {resort}]
     3: a shelter from danger or hardship [syn: {sanctuary}, {asylum}]
     4: act of turning to for assistance; "have recourse to the
        courts"; "an appeal to his uncle was his last resort"
        [syn: {recourse}, {resort}]