ambush

An ambush is defined as a surprise attack by someone, or something that was hidden.

(noun)

An example of an ambush is an unexpected military raid of a house.

The definition of an ambush is an area in which someone hid before attacking someone.

(noun)

An example of an ambush is a trench in which soldiers are concealed before attacking.

Ambush means to attack by surprise.

(verb)

An example of ambush is when soldiers from a Navy boat secretly empty onto a beach in the middle of the night in order to attack.

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See ambush in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. a deployment of persons in hiding to make a surprise attack
    1. the persons in hiding
    2. their place of hiding
  2. the act of so lying in wait to attack
  3. a surprise attack made by persons waiting in ambush

Origin: OFr embusche < embuschier: see ambushthe

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to hide in ambush
  2. to attack from ambush

Origin: ME embusshen < OFr embuschier, to lay an ambush < ML *imboscare < in-, in- + boscus, woods < Frank busk, akin to bush

Related Forms:

See ambush in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. The act of lying in wait to attack by surprise.
  2. A sudden attack made from a concealed position.
  3. a. Those hiding in order to attack by surprise.
    b. The hiding place used for this.
  4. A hidden peril or trap.
transitive verb am·bushed, am·bush·ing, am·bush·es
To attack from a concealed position.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English embush

Origin: , from Old French embusche

Origin: , from embuschier, to ambush

Origin: , from Frankish *boscu, bush, woods

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Related Forms:

  • amˈbushˌer noun

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