Ambushes

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæm.bʊʃ.ɪz/

Definitions

1. A tactic that involves secretly positioning oneself to launch a surprise assault on unsuspecting targets for strategic benefit
2. An attack launched suddenly from a hidden spot to catch opponents off guard
3. An operation where forces wait out of sight to strike enemies unexpectedly

Etymology: The plural "ambushes" is simply the third-person singular and plural form of the noun and verb "ambush," so the history lies in the base word. Its ancestry runs through the Old French "enbuscier" and "embusche," which were built from "en-" and a Vulgar Latin word "boscus," meaning "wood." A person lying in wait was, in essence, hidden among the trees, and the same root gave English "bush" through Frankish, a Germanic language, whose word "busk" meant bush or a heavy stick. The surprise is the spelling. English originally wrote the word "enbuschen" in Middle English, with an "en-" beginning, and the change to "am-" happened for reasons no one has fully explained. The word thus shifted its opening sound while keeping the picture of concealment in the undergrowth. Its close relative "ambuscade," which also means a concealed attack, shows the same wooded origin.

Synonyms: attacks, assaults, surprises, trap, bushwhacks

Antonyms: defenses, protections, safeguards, fronts, open confrontations