ambush
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Related to ambushed: waylaying
am·bush
(ăm′bo͝osh)n.
1. A sudden attack made from a concealed position.
2.
a. Those hiding in order to attack by surprise: The captain stationed an ambush near the harbor.
b. The hiding place used for such an attack: "Uncle Harm had hunted the way Trapper did—on foot, stalking and laying traps, shooting from ambush" (Rick Bass).
tr.v. am·bushed, am·bush·ing, am·bush·es
To attack from a concealed position.
[Middle English embushen, to place in concealment among bushes, lay in wait, from Old French embuschier, from Frankish *boscu, bush, woods.]
am′bush′er n.
Synonyms: ambush, bushwhack, waylay
These verbs mean to attack suddenly and without warning from a concealed place: guerrillas ambushing a platoon; a patrol bushwhacked by poachers; a truck waylaid by robbers.
These verbs mean to attack suddenly and without warning from a concealed place: guerrillas ambushing a platoon; a patrol bushwhacked by poachers; a truck waylaid by robbers.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ambush
(ˈæmbʊʃ)n
1. (Military) the act of waiting in a concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack
2. (Military) a surprise attack from such a position
3. (Military) the concealed position from which such an attack is launched
4. (Military) the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack
vb
5. to lie in wait (for)
6. (tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position
[C14: from Old French embuschier to position in ambush, from em- im- + -buschier, from busche piece of firewood, probably of Germanic origin; see bush1]
ˈambusher n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
am•bush
(ˈæm bʊʃ)n.
1. an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise: The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.
2. an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.
3. the concealed position itself: They fired from ambush.
4. those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.
v.t. 5. to attack from ambush.
v.i. 6. to lie in ambush.
[1250–1300; Middle English enbuss(h)en < Middle French embuschier literally, to set in the woods « Vulgar Latin *busca wood, forest]
am′bush•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Ambush
a group of troops of persons concealed or lying in wait for their prey.Examples: ambush of amber coloured darts [referring to a lady’s hair], 1592; of envy, 1751; of error, 1852; of tigers; of widows—Lipton, 1970.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ambush
Past participle: ambushed
Gerund: ambushing
| Imperative |
|---|
| ambush |
| ambush |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  ambush - the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprisecoup de main, surprise attack - an attack without warning dry-gulching - the act of killing from ambush |
| Verb | 1. |  ambush - wait in hiding to attack wait - stay in one place and anticipate or expect something; "I had to wait on line for an hour to get the tickets" |
| 2. |  ambush - hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushinghunt, hunt down, track down, run - pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals); "Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland"; "The dogs are running deer"; "The Duke hunted in these woods" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
ambush
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
ambush
nounverbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
ambush
[ˈæmbʊʃ]A. N → emboscada f
to set or lay an ambush for → tender una emboscada a
to lie in ambush → estar emboscado (for para coger)
to set or lay an ambush for → tender una emboscada a
to lie in ambush → estar emboscado (for para coger)
B. VT → cazar por sorpresa, agarrar por sorpresa (LAm)
to be ambushed → caer en una emboscada, ser cazado por sorpresa
to be ambushed → caer en una emboscada, ser cazado por sorpresa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
ambush
(ˈӕmbuʃ) verb to wait in hiding for and make a surprise attack on. They planned to ambush the enemy as they marched towards the capital.tender una emboscada
noun1. an attack made in this way. emboscada
2. the group of people making the attack. emboscados
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
ambush
→ emboscadaMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009