What does ambush mean?

Definitions for ambush
ˈæm bʊʃam·bush

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ambush.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ambush, ambuscade, lying in wait, trapverb

    the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise

  2. ambush, scupper, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, ambuscade, lie in waitverb

    wait in hiding to attack

  3. still-hunt, ambushverb

    hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing

Wiktionary

  1. ambushnoun

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

  2. ambushnoun

    An attack launched from a concealed position.

  3. ambushverb

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

  4. ambushverb

    To attack by ambush; to waylay.

  5. Etymology: From embusche (noun), embushier, embuissier (verb), from em- + boscus, of origin, from *, from busk-. Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Ambushnoun

    Etymology: embusche, Fr. from bois a wood; whence embuscher, to hide in woods, ambushes being commonly laid under the concealment of thick forests.

    Charge, charge, their ground the faint Taxallans yield,
    Bold in close ambush, base in open field. John Dryden, Indian Emperour.

    Nor shall we need,
    With dangerous expedition, to invade
    Heav’n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,
    Or ambush from the deep. John Milton, Par. Lost, b. ii.

    The residue retired deceitfully towards the place of their ambush, whence issued more. Then the earl gathered his small company about him, and maintained the fight. But the enemy, whether perceiving some succours advancing, or whether intending to draw the English further into their ambush, turned away at an easy pace. John Hayward.

    For you, my noble lord of Lancaster,
    Once did I lay an ambush for your life. William Shakespeare, Richard II.

Wikipedia

  1. Ambush

    An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mountaintops. Ambushes have been used consistently throughout history, from ancient to modern warfare. In the 20th century, an ambush might involve thousands of soldiers on a large scale, such as over a choke point such as a mountain pass, or a small irregulars band or insurgent group attacking a regular armed force patrols. Theoretically, a single well-armed and concealed soldier could ambush other troops in a surprise attack. Sometimes an ambush can involve the exclusive or combined use of improvised explosive devices, that allow the attackers to hit enemy convoys or patrols while minimizing the risk of being exposed to return fire.

ChatGPT

  1. ambush

    An ambush is a surprise attack by people hiding in concealed positions on individuals or a group. This strategy is often used in military tactics or hunting, where the attacker waits for the target to move into a predetermined location before launching the attack, aiming to catch the enemy off guard. It can also refer to any situation where someone is unexpectedly confronted, often in an unwelcome or uncomfortable way.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ambushverb

    a disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station. Hence: Unseen peril; a device to entrap; a snare

  2. Ambushverb

    a concealed station, where troops or enemies lie in wait to attack by surprise

  3. Ambushverb

    the troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; liers in wait

  4. Ambushverb

    to station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy

  5. Ambushverb

    to attack by ambush; to waylay

  6. Ambushverb

    to lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; to lurk

  7. Etymology: [OE. enbussen, enbushen, OF. embushier, embuissier, F. embcher, embusquer, fr. LL. imboscare; in + LL. boscus, buscus, a wood; akin to G. bush, E. bush. See Ambuscade, Bush.]

Wikidata

  1. Ambush

    An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops. Ambushes have been used consistently throughout history, from ancient to modern warfare.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Ambush

    am′boosh, n. and v. same meanings as Ambuscade.—n. Am′bushment (B.), ambush. [O. Fr. embusche (mod. embûche), embuscher, Low L. emboscārein-, in, and boscus, a bush.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. ambush

    Signifies an attempt to lie in concealment for the purpose of surprising the enemy without his perceiving the intention until he is attacked.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. ambush

    A place of concealment where an enemy may be surprised by a sudden attack.

Suggested Resources

  1. ambush

    Song lyrics by ambush -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ambush on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. AMBUSH

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ambush is ranked #54296 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Ambush surname appeared 380 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Ambush.

    80% or 304 total occurrences were Black.
    9.4% or 36 total occurrences were White.
    7.8% or 30 total occurrences were of two or more races.
    1.3% or 5 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of ambush in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of ambush in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of ambush in a Sentence

  1. Paul Smith:

    This was a planned and targeted ambush and murder.

  2. Brandon Judd:

    We don’t know exactly what happened because we weren’t there. However, just from agents that were working in the area, reports are saying it was an attack and it would appear to be an ambush.

  3. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey:

    The attack and ambush [were] perpetrated by a violent, career criminal, with a history of 40 charges for crimes including drug trafficking, aggravated assault while discharging a firearm, battery on a law enforcement officer, and attempted first-degree felony murder.

  4. John Boehner:

    The NLRB's ambush election rule is an assault on the rights and privacy protections of American workers, with his veto, the president has once again put the interests of his political allies ahead of the small-business owners and hardworking Americans who create jobs and build a stronger economy.

  5. Jerryl Christmas:

    Clearly this was not a police ambush and police were never the target.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

ambush#10000#29441#100000

Translations for ambush

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"ambush." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/ambush>.

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