ambush

[ am-boo sh ]

/ ˈæm bʊʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ambush ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Also am·bush·ment.

an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise: The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.

an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.

the concealed position itself: They fired from ambush.

those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.

verb (used with object)

to attack from ambush.

Nearby words

Origin of ambush

1250–1300; (v.) Middle English enbuss(h)en < Middle French embuschier to place men in ambush, literally, to set in the woods, equivalent to em- im-¹ + busch- (< Vulgar Latin *busca wood, forest < Germanic *busk- heavy stick) + -ier infinitive suffix; (noun) earlier enbusshe < Middle French embusche, derivative of the v.

Related formsam·bush·er, nounam·bush·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ambush

They were the machine gun bullets coming from the ambush when my company got hit.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In one ambush in late July, 11 Hezbollah fighters were killed, according to Lebanese security sources.
Hezbollah’s Widening War Spreads to Iraq|Jamie Dettmer|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was killed instantly by a blast in an ambush launched on our vehicles outside of a schoolhouse.
Memorial Days After Mourning Has Passed|Alex Horton|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She would lure him to a Paris suburb where the gang waited in ambush.
A Horror Story of True-Life Anti-Semitism in France|Tracy McNicoll|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Opponents call the technique “ambush elections” and say the rules do not leave enough time for management to make its case.
Obama Loves Labor (on the Down Low)|David Freedlander|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One hunter who escaped the ambush reported that an overwhelming number of Apaches were in the wooded hills.
The Pinos Altos Story|Dorothy Watson
Your men returned at noon yesterday and told me of the ambush in which they had been beset.
The Bravest of the Brave|G. A. Henty
Though he were winged and swift of flight, the unwary one who approaches the ambush is lost.
The Life of the Spider|J. Henri Fabre
And Jason went to the ambush to lie in wait for Apsyrtus and then for his comrades.
The Argonautica|Apollonius Rhodius
You think there is no danger of our being fired upon from ambush?
The Sun Of Quebec|Joseph A. Altsheler

British Dictionary definitions for ambush

ambush

/ (ˈæmbʊʃ) /

noun

the act of waiting in a concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack

a surprise attack from such a position

the concealed position from which such an attack is launched

the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack

verb

to lie in wait (for)

(tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position

Derived Formsambusher, noun

Word Origin for ambush

C14: from Old French embuschier to position in ambush, from em- im- + -buschier, from busche piece of firewood, probably of Germanic origin; see bush 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ambush

ambush

c.1300, from Old French embuscher (13c., Modern French embûcher) "to lay an ambush," from en- "in" + busch "wood," apparently from Frankish *busk "bush, woods" (see bush (n.)). Related: Ambushed; ambushing.

ambush

late 15c., embushe, from the English verb or from Middle French embusche, from Old French embuscher (see ambush (v.)). Earlier was ambushment (late 14c.). Figurative use by 1590s.

ambush

noun Also am·bush·ment.

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Origin of ambush

Examples from the Web for ambush

ambush

noun

verb

Word Origin for ambush

ambush

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