ambuscade
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambuscade
1575–85; < Middle French embuscade, alteration (under influence of Old French embuschier; see ambush) of Middle French emboscade < Old Italian imboscata, feminine past participle of imboscare, verbal derivative with in- in- 2 of bosco wood, forest < Germanic *bosk- bush 1
Explanation
An ambuscade is a surprise attack. There's nothing funnier than watching your cat lie in wait behind the couch until your dog wanders over, only to be startled by the cat's ambuscade. While ambuscade is a bit old-fashioned, it's a perfectly good way to say ambush. Soldiers in battle conduct strategic ambuscades, and you may also enjoy using an ambuscade against your brother now and then, leaping out from behind a door to make him jump. It can also be used as a verb: "The dog is surprised every single time the cat ambuscades him."
Vocabulary lists containing ambuscade
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:
The ambuscade capped a notably disgruntling week for Labor.
From Time Magazine Archive
I have experienced and feel a profound sadness for the Marines who perished in the last ambuscade of the Sandinistas.
From Time Magazine Archive
The general belief was that the King was a chance victim of the ambuscade which was intended for the Orchanie-Sofia autobus, occupants of which were known to be carrying large sums of money.
From Time Magazine Archive
He lost three of the next four games before he recovered from the shock of that one intellectual ambuscade.
From Time Magazine Archive
Determined to prevent this, they had planned the ambuscade, and two other still stronger earthworks which awaited him further on.
From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume I (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Walter Thornbury
Kabba Rega had no doubt ordered the various routes towards Rionga's province to be ambuscaded.
From Ismailia by Sir Samuel White Baker
"Look sharp, John, that there be not others ambuscaded along the bank."
From The Little Red Foot by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers
Within a month Chinese troops ambuscaded a French column at Bac-Le and the Government decided on a punitive expedition.
From A History of the Third French Republic by C. H. C. (Charles Henry Conrad) Wright
He tripped them up with facts, ambuscaded them with facts, bombarded them with broadsides of facts.
From The Iron Heel by Jack London
Denvil and his fifteen Pathans had been ambuscaded and outnumbered; and in the cramped space a sharp hand-to-hand encounter was in progress.
From Captain Desmond, V.C. by Maud Diver
The ambuscading forces now made their presence known, and, displaying their hats upon the muzzles of their guns, made a show of twice their actual strength.
From Vermont A Study of Independence by Rowland E. (Evans) Robinson
That boy must be a throw-back, thought the colonel, to the ambuscading, feud-fighting men on his mother’s side.
From The Bondboy by George W. (George Washington) Ogden
Before the assemblage could realize this new invasion, a nearer clatter of hoofs was heard along the high road, and one of the ambuscading party dashed up from the fringe of woods below.
From The Bell-Ringer of Angel's by Bret Harte
The thick growth of grass and vines made ambuscading a favorite pastime with the Spaniards.
From History of Negro Soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest by Edward A. (Edward Austin) Johnson
We had frequently gone out in small ambuscading parties in hopes of picking off a few of the ladrons, but without any success.
From Los Gringos Or, An Inside View of Mexico and California, with Wanderings in Peru, Chili, and Polynesia by H. A. (Henry Augustus) Wise
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