ambulance

[am-byuh-luhns]

noun

1. a specially equipped motor vehicle, airplane, ship, etc., for carrying sick or injured people, usually to a hospital.

2. (formerly) a field hospital.

ambulance

/ ˈæmbjʊləns /

noun

1. a motor vehicle designed to carry sick or injured people

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambulance¹

1800–10; < French, equivalent to ( hôpital ) ambul ( ant ) walking (hospital) + -ance -ance. See ambulant

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambulance¹

C19: from French, based on ( hôpital ) ambulant mobile or field (hospital), from Latin ambulāre to walk

Example Sentences

In May, Merseyside Police said they believed Doyle had followed an ambulance on to Water Street after a road block was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person having a heart attack.

Read more on BBC

A story the following year revealed that hospital administrators were forcing a maintenance worker to step in as an ambulance driver on weekends — without the requisite chauffeur’s license — to save money.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After waking, Hannah performed CPR on Adam until an ambulance arrived, saving his life.

Read more on BBC

The friend said that facility staff called for an ambulance and moved the other detainees to a different room.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Dr Umesh, who is a medical doctor, said that ambulance staff told her no-one has burn injuries but that some first responders inhaled "toxic fumes" and are now using oxygen masks.

Read more on BBC