ambulance
/ˈæmbjᵿl(ə)n(t)s/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.06 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An emergency vehicle designed for transporting seriously ill or injured people to a hospital.
noun
Example Sentences
- "The NHS is bracing itself for its worst ever winter crisis descending in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services under intense strain."
- "Ambulancing patients with acute obstruction over cobble and rails should not be tolerated; better render the necessary service where the patient is found."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂-der. Proto-Italic *alō Latin *alō Latin ambulō Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin ambulānsbor. French ambulant ▲ Latin -ns Latin -āns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin -āntia Old French -ance Middle French -ance French -ance French ambulancebor. English ambulance Borrowed from French ambulance, which replaced hôpital ambulant (“moving hospital”) via the suffix -ance, from Latin ambulō (“to walk; to go about”).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ambulō
Usage
- British usage
- Obsolete
- American usage
- Transitive verb
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.