siege

1 of 2

noun

ˈsēj How to pronounce siege (audio)
 also  ˈsēzh
1
a
: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
b
: a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)
2
obsolete : a seat of distinction : throne

siege

2 of 2

verb

sieged; sieging

transitive verb

: to lay siege to : to attack militarily : besiege
Insurgents rampaged through the countryside, sacked haciendas and mills, occupied small towns, and sieged the largest cities, Cusco and La Paz.Sergio Serulnikov
Phrases
lay siege to
1
: to besiege militarily
2
: to pursue diligently or persistently

Examples of siege in a Sentence

Noun The castle was built to withstand a siege. The city is in a state of siege.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The voice actor from Bob’s Burgers who attacked police and others during the MAGA mob siege of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, is going to prison for a year and a day. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024 According to Gaza’s health ministry, the Israeli siege has killed more than 600 people, including 87 people in a single strike last Saturday in Beit Lahia. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
Tensions in Bangladesh have reignited as student protesters sieged the presidential palace Tuesday evening, calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 Police then began negotiations with other people in the home before authorities eventually sieged the house with armored vehicles. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for siege 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sege, from Anglo-French, seat, blockade, from Old French *siegier to seat, settle, from Vulgar Latin *sedicare, from Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of siege was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near siege

Cite this Entry

“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siege. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

siege

noun
1
: the placing of an army around a fortified place or city to force it to surrender
2
: a lasting attack (as of illness)

More from Merriam-Webster on siege

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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