ambush

CEFRC1

/ˈæm.bʊʃ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A surprise attack from a hidden position.

  2. 02

    verb

    To attack someone suddenly from a hidden position.

Examples

  • He has a plan to ambush him.

  • He lay prostrate, ready to ambush the invaders.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An attack launched from a concealed position.

  2. The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.

  3. The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.

More examples

In context

  • Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege / Or ambush from the deep.

  • the Georgean hills, Whoſe tops are couered with Tartarian theeues, That lie in ambuſh, waiting for a pray:

  • By ambuſh’d men, behind their Temple laid, / VVe have the King of Mexico betray’d.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The soldiers feared the enemy might blank them in the narrow mountain pass.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), 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.