/ ˈæmbʊʃ; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
[ C , U ] the act of hiding and waiting for sb and then making a surprise attack on them :
Two soldiers were killed in a terrorist ambush.
They were lying in ambush , waiting for the aid convoy.
■ verb
[ vn ] to make a surprise attack on sb/sth from a hidden position :
The guerrillas ambushed them near the bridge.
( figurative )
She was ambushed by reporters.
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WORD 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 bush .