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Added 10 October 2026

ambush

/ˈæm.bʊʃ/ noun

Latin root: boscus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ambush at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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

verb

Wait in hiding to attack.
Hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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