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Vinony

ambush

noun

  1. military tactic
  2. to attack
L316230 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. to attack
L330782 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈæm.bʊʃ/

noun

Etymology: 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.

  1. The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
  2. An attack launched from a concealed position.

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

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

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

    “Therefore, why not wait in ambush for Conrad behind the door, and when he entered bring down a chair, or one of the decrepit pictures, smartly on to his head.”

  4. The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.

    “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.”

verb

Etymology: 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.

  1. To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy.

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

  2. To attack by ambush; to waylay.

    “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.”