ambush

American  

[am-boosh] / ˈæm bʊʃ /

noun

1. an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise.

   The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.

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

3. the concealed position itself.

   They fired from ambush.

4. those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.

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verb (used with object)

1. to attack from ambush.

ambush British  

/ ˈæmbʊʃ /

noun

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

2. a surprise attack from such a position

3. the concealed position from which such an attack is launched

4. the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack

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verb

1. to lie in wait (for)

2. (tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position

Other Word Forms

• ambusher noun
• ambushlike adjective

Etymology

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.

Example Sentences

Two National Guardsmen who were ambushed on duty in Washington received Purple Hearts, one posthumously.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was not set upon by unreasonable hordes or ambushed by sneaky types.

From Literature

“Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It's a brazen ambush. Whether the victim was the intended target or it was somebody that he knows or associates with or is related to will all form part of the investigation."

From BBC

The DHS statement went on to say, "fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots".

From BBC

Related Words

• assault
• surround
• trap
• waylay