/ siːdʒ; NAmE / noun
1.
a military operation in which an army tries to capture a town by surrounding it and stopping the supply of food, etc. to the people inside :
the siege of Troy
The siege was finally lifted (= ended) after six months.
The police placed the city centre under a virtual state of siege (= it was hard to get in or out) .
2.
a situation in which the police surround a building where people are living or hiding, in order to make them come out
—see also besiege
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IDIOMS
- under siege
- lay siege to sth
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French sege , from asegier besiege.