Adjacent Words

Ambush definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AM'BUSH, n.
1. A private or concealed station, where troops lie in wait to attack their enemy by surprise.
2. The state of lying concealed, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; a lying in wait.
3. The troops posted in a concealed place for attacking by surprise.
Lay thee an ambush for the city. Josh 8.
AM'BUSH, v.t. To lie in wait for; to surprise, by assailing unexpectedly from a concealed place.
AM'BUSH, v.i. To lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise.
Nor saw the snake, that ambushed for his prey.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise [syn: ambush, ambuscade, lying in wait, trap] v
1: wait in hiding to attack [syn: ambush, scupper, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, ambuscade, lie in wait]
2: hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing [syn: still-hunt, ambush]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English embushen, from Anglo-French embuscher, from en in (from Latin in) + busche log, firewood Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to station in ambush 2. to attack from an ambush ; waylay intransitive verb to lie in wait ; lurk • ambusher noun • ambushment noun II. noun Date: 15th century 1. a trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise 2. the persons stationed in ambush; also their concealed position 3. an attack especially from an ambush

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a surprise attack by persons (e.g. troops) in a concealed position. 2 a the concealment of troops etc. to make such an attack. b the place where they are concealed. c the troops etc. concealed. --v.tr. 1 attack by means of an ambush. 2 lie in wait for. Etymology: ME f. OF embusche, embuschier, f. a Rmc form = 'put in a wood': rel. to BUSH(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ambush Am"bush, n. [F. emb[^u]che, fr. the verb. See Ambush, v. t.] 1. A disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station. Hence: Unseen peril; a device to entrap; a snare. Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege Or ambush from the deep. --Milton. 2. A concealed station, where troops or enemies lie in wait to attack by surprise. Bold in close ambush, base in open field. --Dryden. 3. The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; liers in wait. [Obs.] The ambush arose quickly out of their place. --Josh. viii. 19. To lay an ambush, to post a force in ambush.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ambush Am"bush, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ambushed; p. pr. & vb. n. Ambushing.] [OE. enbussen, enbushen, OF. embushier, embuissier, F. emb[^u]cher, embusquer, fr. LL. imboscare; in + LL. boscus, buscus, a wood; akin to G. bush, E. bush. See Ambuscade, Bu?h.] 1. To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy. By ambushed men behind their temple ?ai?, We have the king of Mexico betrayed. --Dryden. 2. To attack by ambush; to waylay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ambush Am"bush, v. i. To lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; to lurk. Nor saw the snake that ambushed for his prey. --Trumbull.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ambushes, ambushing, ambushed) 1. If a group of people ambush their enemies, they attack them after hiding and waiting for them. The Guatemalan army says rebels ambushed and killed 10 patrolmen. VERB: V n 2. An ambush is an attack on someone by people who have been hiding and waiting for them. A policeman has been shot dead in an ambush. N-VAR 3. If someone is lying in ambush, they are hiding and waiting for someone, usually to attack them. The gunmen, lying in ambush, opened fire, killing the driver. PHRASE: PHR after v

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Josh. 8:4-26). Shechem was taken in this manner (Judg. 9:30-45. Comp. Jer. 51:12).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

am'-boosh ('arabh, "to set an ambush"; ma'arabh, "an ambush"): A military stratagem in which a body of men are placed in concealment to surprise an enemy unawares, or to attack a point when temporarily undefended. This stratagem was employed successfully by Joshua at Ai (Jos 8). Jeremiah calls upon the Medes to "set up a standard against the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes" (Jer 51:12).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. See ambuscade.

Moby Thesaurus

ambuscade, ambushment, assail, assault, astonish, attack, blind, blitz, booby trap, bushwhack, catch off-guard, catch unawares, come at, come down on, come from behind, come upon unexpectedly, cover, crack down on, descend on, descend upon, do the unexpected, drop in on, ensnare, entrap, fall on, fall upon, gang up on, go at, go for, harry, have at, hideout, hit, hit like lightning, intercept, jump, land on, lay at, lay for, lay hands on, lay into, lay wait for, lie in ambush, lie in wait, light into, lure, lurk, lurking hole, mug, pitch into, pounce upon, pound, pull up short, retreat, sail into, set on, set upon, shadowing, snare, spring a surprise, spring upon, stalking-horse, strike, surprise, surveillance, swoop down on, take by surprise, take short, take the offensive, take unawares, trap, wade into, waylay