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ambush. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
ambush, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
ambush in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
ambush you have here. The definition of the word
ambush will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
ambush, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, heavy stick”). Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.
Pronunciation
Noun
ambush (plural ambushes)
- The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack by surprise.
- An attack launched from a concealed position.
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege / Or ambush from the deep.
- The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part , 2nd edition, part 1, London: Richard Iones, , published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:the Georgean hills,
Whoſe tops are couered with Tartarian theeues,
That lie in ambuſh, waiting for a pray:
- The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.
1611, The Holy Bible, (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Joshua 8:19:And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ranne as soone as he had stretched out his hand: and they entred into the city, and tooke it, and hasted, and set the citie on fire.
Derived terms
Translations
Translations to be checked
- Arabic: كَمِين m (kamīn)
- Armenian: դարան (hy) (daran)
- Bulgarian: заса́да (bg) f (zasáda), кло́пка (bg) f (klópka)
- Cherokee: ᎠᏓᎭᎷᏗ (adahaludi)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 埋伏 (zh) (máifu), 伏擊/伏击 (zh) (fújī)
- Mandarin: 埋伏 (zh) (máifú)
- Czech: záloha (cs) f
- Danish: bagholdsangreb n, baghold n ; baghold n
- Dutch: hinderlaag (nl) m or f ; hinderlaag (nl) m or f
- French: embuscade (fr) f
- German: Hinterhalt (de) m
- Greek: ενέδρα (el) f (enédra)
- Ancient: ἐνέδρα f (enédra)
- Hebrew: מארב m (maarav)
- Hungarian: leshely (hu) ; csapda (hu)
- Indonesian: penyergapan (id)
- Italian: imboscata (it) f
- Japanese: 待ち伏せ (ja) (まちぶせ, machibuse) ; 不意打ち (ja) (ふいうち, fuiuchi)
- Latin: īnsidiae f pl
- Lithuanian: (please verify) pasala f
- Macedonian: заседа f (zaseda)
- Maori: kuratopuni, kauaeroa, torohē, urumaranga, pūniho
- Polish: zasadzka (pl) f
- Portuguese: emboscada (pt) f ; tocaia (pt) f
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: за̑сједа f, за̑седа f
- Roman: zȃsjeda (sh) f, zȃseda (sh) f
- Spanish: encerrona
- Swedish: bakhåll (sv) n ; bakhåll (sv) n
- Tagalog: abat (tl)
- Turkish: pusu (tr), tuzak (tr)
- Vietnamese: đánh úp (vi), mai phục (vi)
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Verb
ambush (third-person singular simple present ambushes, present participle ambushing, simple past and past participle ambushed)
- (transitive) To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy.
1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. , London: J M for H Herringman , published 1667, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 9:By ambuſh’d men, behind their Temple laid, / VVe have the King of Mexico betray’d.
- (transitive) To attack by ambush; to waylay.
2018 June 17, Barney Ronay, “Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 5 August 2019:The contrast with the start was profound. In the opening 40 minutes Löw’s team had been ambushed here, the world champions run into a state of breathless trauma by a thrillingly vibrant Mexico attack.
Derived terms
Translations
to station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy
to attack by ambush; to waylay
- Albanian: please add this translation if you can
- Armenian: դարանակալել (hy) (daranakalel)
- Bulgarian: причаквам (bg) (pričakvam), нападам от засада (napadam ot zasada)
- Catalan: emboscar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
- Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
- Estonian: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: hyökkää väijyksistä (+ genitive +) kimppuun, väijyttää
- French: embusquer (fr)
- Georgian: please add this translation if you can
- German: aus dem Hinterhalt angreifen
- Hungarian: lesből támad
- Indonesian: sergapan (id)
- Italian: agguatare (it)
- Japanese: 不意打ちする (ja) (ふいうちする, fuiuchi suru)
- Khmer: ឡោមព័ទ្ធ (laom pŏət)
- Latin: impetō cum insidiā
- Latvian: please add this translation if you can
- Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
- Malay: sergap, serangan hendap
- Maori: kauaeroa, whakamoho, whakamoke, haupapa, tāwhanga
- Polish: wciągać w zasadzkę impf, wciągnąć w zasadzkę pf, zaczajać się impf, zaczaić się pf
- Portuguese: emboscar (pt)
- Romanian: please add this translation if you can
- Russian: напада́ть из заса́ды impf (napadátʹ iz zasády) (intransitive)
- Spanish: emboscar (es)
- Turkish: please add this translation if you can
- Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
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Further reading