ambush
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
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.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
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 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
- 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 […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; 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 964384981, 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 termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
act
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attack
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troops
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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VerbEdit
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, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour […][1], London: Printed by J.M. for H. Herringman, published 1667, Act I, scene ii, page 9:
- By ambuſh’d men, behind their Temple laid, / We 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[2], London: Guardian News & Media, ISSN 0261-3077, OCLC 229952407, 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 termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
to station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy
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to attack by ambush; to waylay
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