ambulance
Americannoun
-
a specially equipped motor vehicle, airplane, ship, etc., for carrying sick or injured people, usually to a hospital.
-
(formerly) a field hospital.
noun
Etymology
Origin of ambulance
1800–10; < French, equivalent to ( hôpital ) ambul ( ant ) walking (hospital) + -ance -ance. See ambulant
Explanation
An ambulance is an emergency vehicle that transports people to the hospital in emergencies. If you see that someone's been injured in a car accident, it's a good idea to call an ambulance. People who are terribly sick, or who are unexpectedly hurt or injured, often need to get to a hospital quickly, and this is what an ambulance is for. As the patient is driven to a hospital, with the ambulance's lights flashing and siren sounding, he or she is often treated by an emergency medical technician. The word comes from the French phrase hôpital ambulant, or "walking hospital," from the Latin ambulare, "to walk."
Vocabulary lists containing ambulance
Walk the Walk: Amb
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
English Words Derived from French, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
National Nurses Week: Tasks and Equipment
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It added she had been transferred by ambulance to a hospital in Tehran "to be treated by her own medical team".
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
On the day Preston died, at around 18:25, paramedic Simon Crabb was outside the ambulance bay and saw Varley running with a "floppy" baby in his arms, and told him the child was not breathing.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
The TV station also observed a person being loaded into an ambulance.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Ferguson was taken in an ambulance from the tunnel area of Old Trafford to the hospital.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
That morning, we were waiting, my two friends and I, for the ambulance to come, and J.T. took a swig from his bottle of green tea.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
