ambulance
Americannoun
-
ambulances
plural
-
a specially equipped motor vehicle, airplane, ship, etc., for carrying sick or injured people, usually to a hospital.
-
(formerly) a field hospital.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had sent two ambulances by road and an air ambulance to the scene.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
She said she had heard what sounded like "gunshots" and an air ambulance had circled above.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Her condition had been largely unknown since an ambulance took her to the hospital from a Nashville prison following the botched execution attempt last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
He was so stricken when a local restaurant mistakenly grilled his food in butter, instead of oil, that he was unconscious when the ambulance arrived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Ben needed to get to that ambulance fast.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had sent two ambulances by road and an air ambulance to the scene.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to the airport, according to Reuters, citing an eyewitness.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Several ambulances and a few helicopters were sent to collect the wounded and take them to King Fahad hospital in Riyadh, one of the officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Analysts say the move would allow Seoul to provide North Korea with humanitarian aid including ambulances and medical sterilisation tools.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
There were ambulances and fire trucks and people in uniforms and with FBI jackets huddled together.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
