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

MedStar, the region’s ambulance service, took the victims to a hospital. —Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2024

The ambulance service did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to USA TODAY's request for comment. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024

The ambulance service said later that at least five people had been injured in three locations, from Victoria to Belgrave Square and Fleet Street. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024

For example, emergency services such as firefighting and ambulances have long been considered public goods. —Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Over the next two days, 67 adults and 27 children were taken back to town in ambulances, police vehicles, cars driven by journalists and aid workers, and the arms of rescuers. —Seyward Darby, Longreads, 23 Apr. 2024

Many now advise their pregnant patients to carry insurance for air ambulance transports, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024

Saturday, along with three ambulances in case any of the nearby San Jose Healthcare & Wellness Center nursing home residents were impacted by the fire or smoke. —Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024

The man, who appeared to be alive, was taken on a stretcher into an ambulance. —Nik Popli, TIME, 19 Apr. 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