ambush

/ˈæmbʊʃ/

/ˈæmbʊʃ/

Other forms: ambushed; ambushes; ambushing

An ambush is a sneak attack. To ambush your enemy, hide and wait for him to come near and then pounce on him.

In war or in backyards, an ambush is a great way to surprise someone. Ambush comes from a Latin word meaning “to place in a wood,” and hiding in the woods behind a tree is a classic starting point for an ambush. The actual attack is called an ambush, but ambush is also a verb, so you can ambush your mom by dropping water balloons on her head from a tree. Please don’t tell her where you got that idea.

Definitions of ambush

1. noun

   the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise
   synonyms: ambuscade, lying in wait, trap

   types:

   dry-gulching

   the act of killing from ambush

   type of:

   coup de main, surprise attack

   an attack without warning
2. verb

   wait in hiding to attack
   synonyms: ambuscade, bushwhack, lie in wait, lurk, scupper, waylay

   type of:

   wait

   stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
3. verb

   hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing
   synonyms: still-hunt

   type of:

   hunt, hunt down, run, track down

   pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)