ambulance

noun

am·​bu·​lance ˈam-byə-lən(t)s 

-bə-,

 also  -ˌlan(t)s

: a vehicle equipped for transporting the injured or sick

Examples of ambulance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Police, fire, and ambulance services were working at the scene, but weather in the area was poor. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

Man and Dog Rescued by Coast Guard as Sailboat Sinks Off Coast of Florida During Hurricane Helene The Franklin Lakes Fire Department thanked the local volunteer ambulance corps for being on hand and prepared to rehabilitate the volunteer rescuers. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024

My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the anticipatory purr of two ambulance engines idling nearby. —Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

The Camry driver reported minor injuries but declined an ambulance ride to the hospital, according to the state patrol. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "mobile medical facility following troops in the field, corps of surgeons and assistants caring for wounded soldiers in the field," borrowed from French, from ambulant "mobile, itinerant" (borrowed from Latin ambulant-, ambulans, present participle of ambulāre "to go on foot, travel") + -ance -ance — more at amble entry 1

Note: As a name for a vehicle, in part short for ambulance wag(g)on and other collocations, probably after French wagon-ambulance, voiture d'ambulance, etc.

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ambulance

• ambulance chaser
• by ambulance

Kids Definition

ambulance

noun

am·​bu·​lance ˈam-byə-lən(t)s 

: a vehicle that is equipped for transporting the injured or the sick

Etymology

from French ambulance "field hospital," from (hôpital) ambulant, literally "traveling hospital," derived from Latin ambulare "to walk" — related to amble

Word Origin

When the term ambulance first came into use, it did not refer to a vehicle. To meet the urgent needs of the wounded during war, the French about 200 years ago set up temporary movable hospitals close to the battlefields. They called such a hospital hôpital ambulant, meaning literally "walking hospital." The French adjective ambulant can be traced back to the Latin verb ambulare, meaning "to walk." In time the French dropped the word hôpital from the phrase and changed the adjective to the noun ambulance. This word was also later applied to the wagon used for transporting the wounded to the field hospital. Before long, the word ambulance came to be used for civilian temporary hospitals set up during emergencies and also for the vehicles used to take the sick and injured to the hospital. English borrowed the word from French to refer to such vehicles.

Medical Definition

ambulance

noun

am·​bu·​lance

ˈam-b(y)ə-lən(t)s also -ˌlan(t)s

: a vehicle equipped for transporting the injured or sick