incursion
[in-kur-zhuh n, -shuh n]
- a hostile entrance into or invasion of a place or territory, especially a sudden one; raid: The bandits made brief incursions on the village.
- a harmful inroad.
- a running in: the incursion of sea water.
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Origin of incursion
Synonyms
See more synonyms for incursion on Thesaurus.com1. sortie, foray, attack.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for incursion
Contemporary Examples
Griswold was undeniably an incursion on democratic powers with a definite whiff of activism.
And I remember once there was a Nicaraguan Sandinista incursion in Honduras and the Nicaraguans denied it.
Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly ExpatMichael Weiss
August 10, 2014
And at midnight Spanish time, the Nicaraguans said, ‘Okay, we had an incursion, but it was justified.’
Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly ExpatMichael Weiss
August 10, 2014
Much of the American left is critical of Israel, particularly since its incursion into Gaza.
Israel makes an incursion into Gaza every few years, and we always have little choice but to let it play out.
Historical Examples
In the course of the year an incursion was made to destroy the Lacantuns.
The Annals of the CakchiquelsDaniel G. Brinton
He did not take the incursion of the foreigner “lying down.”
The Angel and the Author - and OthersJerome K. Jerome
The idea of an Indian incursion, with him at the head of it, seemed too improbable.
The White ChiefMayne Reid
They have fled before that incursion as a flock of birds before a whirlwind.
Jersey Street and Jersey LaneH. C. Bunner
In 1818 the crops of the settlers were devoured by an incursion of locusts.
incursion
- a sudden invasion, attack, or raid
- the act of running or leaking into; penetration
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Word Origin
C15: from Latin incursiō onset, attack, from incurrere to run into; see incur
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 incursion
n.
"hostile attack," early 15c., from Middle French incursion (14c.) or directly from Latin incursionem (nominative incursio) "a running against," noun of action from past participle stem of incurrere (see incur).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper