ambush
/ˈæm.bʊʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.55 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege / Or ambush from the deep."
- "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."
- "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."
- "“Having Chris Palmer part of this ambush of tigers is so exciting. He brings the experience and creative juices, but most of all, the passion and fun we all love about this job,” says Braun."
- "He outwits a positive ambush of tigers who want to eat him up and take his beautiful new clothes"
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈæm.bʊʃ/
- British English: /ˈæm.bʊʃ/