ambulance

American  

[am-byuh-luhns] / ˈæm byə ləns /

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.

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ambulance British  

/ ˈæmbjʊləns /

noun

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

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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."

Example Sentences

A member of the public called an ambulance to take her to hospital.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Sienna was then taken by ambulance to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff for urgent treatment, including the insertion of an emergency shunt and a major brain operation that left her in intensive care.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Around the same time, an ambulance arrived as about 100 event attendees were escorted out of the secured event perimeter.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

The officers were able to leave the area safely and call for an ambulance, according to the social media post.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

Cop cars first, and after a minute, an ambulance.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon