ambush
/ˈambʊʃ
/noun
A surprise attack by people lying in wait in a concealed position: seven members of a patrol were killed in an ambush [mass noun]: there might be terrorists waiting in ambush...
- There have been frequent attacks on livestock too, with crocodiles waiting in ambush near the river bank.
- Barracuda and dogtooth tuna are a common sight along these edges just cruising or lying in ambush.
- He could only see one metal wall, so he had no idea of how well it was guarded or if an ambush was waiting for him.
Synonyms
surprise attack, trap, snare, pitfall, lure
dated ambuscade
verb [with object]
1Make a surprise attack on (someone) from a concealed position: they were ambushed and taken prisoner by the enemy...
- So while we were in the cart, some of my soldiers ambushed the officers and stole their uniforms.
- I think they might have let me know in advance what they were planning instead of ambushing me, don't you?
- Perhaps we have stumbled upon a party intent on ambushing us and raiding our lands.
Synonyms
attack by surprise, trap, surprise, pounce on, lay a trap for, set an ambush for, lie in wait for, waylay, entrap, ensnare;
North American bushwhack
archaic ambuscade
1.1Confront (someone) suddenly and unexpectedly with unwelcome questions: Tory representatives were ambushed by camera crews...
- Sam Newman asked Malthouse directly why Collingwood had ambushed Williams at the tribunal.
- Mr Blair was first ambushed by dripping Evening Press chief reporter Mike Laycock during his visit to flood-hit York.
- Only at the last minute was he ambushed by the idiotic baying for "tax cuts" we were never going to be able to afford.
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'place troops in hiding in order to surprise an enemy'): from Old French embusche (noun), embuschier (verb), based on a late Latin word meaning 'to place in a wood'; related to bush1.
Ambush is from Old French embusche, based on late Latin inboscare from ‘in’ and boscus ‘wood’ also source of bush (Middle English) and bosky (late 16th century). It also gave French bouquet ‘clump of trees’, which entered English meaning ‘bunch of flowers’. The use of bouquet for the aroma from wine dates from the mid 19th century.